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S.  JOHN. 


THE 
MODERN   AMERICAN 


S.    JOHN 
GOSPEL,  LETTERS,  REVELATION 


^ 


THE    BOOKS   OF   THE   BIBLE   IN   MODERN   AMERICAN    FORM 

AND   PHRASE 

WITH 

NOTES  AND   INTRODUCTION 


BY 

FRANK  SCHELL  BALLENTINE 


NEW  YORK 
THOMAS  WHITTAKER 

2  AND  3  BIBLE  HOUSE 


Copyright,  1901 
By  Frank  Schell  Ballentine 


S.  JOHN. 

(Gospel.) 


PREFACE. 

In  the  thirty- first  verse  of  his  twentieth  chapter, 
S.  John  gives  the  purpose  he  had  in  view  in  writing 
his  version  of  the  Good  News  of  our  Salvation. 

''  These  are  written,''  he  there  says,  '^ so  that 
you  may  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  son  of 
God,  a?id  so  that  believing  you  may  have  life  in  his 
name. ' ' 

To  understand  these  words  rightly  we  have  to 
think  of  S.  John,  the  last  of  the  Apostles,  living  on 
to  the  close  of  the  first  century.  He  has  learned 
in  the  thoughts  and  experiences  of  the  last  fifty 
years  of  his  life  what  the  manifestation  of  Christ's 
life  really  is.  He  has  become  quickened  by  the 
presence  of  the  Paraclete  who  has  brought  all 
things  to  his  mind  and  has  guided  him  into  all  the 
truth. 

Think  of  the  Apostle  John  thus,  and  then  think 
of  him  living  among  men  who  were  teaching  that 
the  world  was  not  made  by  the  First  God,  but  by 


vi  PREFACE. 

a  certain  Power  far  separated  from  the  Royalty 
which  is  above  all  and  very  distant  from  him,  a 
Power  which  does  not  know  the  God  who  is  over 
all  and  blessed  forever. 

Think  of  the  great  Apostle  John  in  the  last  days 
of  his  mortal  life  living  among  men  who  are  thus 
trying  in  the  wisdom  of  their  own  vain  imaginings 
to  cross  the  gulf  between  God  and  man. 

He  feels  that  he  has  learnt  how  that  gulf  is 
bridged  in  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 
He  remembers  our  Lord's  acts  and  his  very  words. 
He  knows  that  in  him  and  in  him  alone  does  the 
divine  and  human  meet.  He  at  once  writes  out 
this  witness.  He  makes  it  as  clear  and  forcible  as 
he  can  for  us  children  of  men. 

So  in  the  deeper  fulness  of  the  truth  as  we  find 
it  in  his  story  of  the  Good  News,  John  instructs 
the  Church,  he  refutes  the  prevalent  heresy,  he 
supplies  that  uniquely  spiritual  picture  of  the  life 
of  Christ,  which  we  prize  so  highly  as  a  comple- 
ment to  the  other  three. 

Like  the  Revelation  and  the  Epistles,  the  Gospel 
also  is  divided  into  threes  and  sevens  as  will  be 
noticed  in  the  body  of  the  text. 

Frank  Schell  Ballentine, 

Chrisfs  Church  Rectory, 

Scranton,  Pa.,  Trinitytide,  jgoi. 


S.  JOHN. 

(First  Letter.) 


PREFACE. 

S.  John's  first  letter  has  rightly  been  called 
catholic,  or  general  because  it  was  addressed  to  the 
Church  at  large.  And  yet,  the  question  has  been 
raised,  was  it  so  addressed?  Was  it  addressed  to 
any  one?  Was  it  not  rather  a  set  treatise  on  a  set 
subject,  intended  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  particular 
time  in  which  it  was  written  ? 

However  that  may  be  we  do  know  it  met  most 
admirably  the  needs  of  that  time  and  of  all  times 
since,  and  it  will  continue  to  meet  the  needs  of  all 
time  to  come.  For,  as  some  one  has  suggested,  it 
seems  to  have  been  intended  as  a  supplement  to  his 
Gospel,  and  whether  so  intended  or  not  it  is  in 
actual  fact  the  supplement  to  all  extant  New  Testa- 
ment Scripture  and  the  final  treatise  of  inspired 
revelation.  In  it  the  leading  teachings  of  Chris- 
tianity are  stated  in  their  final  form.  The  teaching 
of  S.   Paul  and  that  of  S.   James  are  restated,  no 


viii  ,       PREFACE. 

longer  in  apparent  opposition,  but  in  intimate  and 
inseparable  harmony.  Tiiey  are  shown  distinctly 
to  be  but  two  sides  of  the  same  great  truth. 

The  connection  between  the  Gospel  and  Letter 
is  very  marked.  The  Gospel  shows  the  way  to 
eternal  life  through  belief  in  the  incarnate  Son 
(S.  John  20:  31).  The  Letter  assures  those  who 
believe  in  the  incarnate  Son  that  they  have  eternal 
Hfe  (i  John  5 :  13).  The  one  is  an  historical 
statement  of  divine  truth,  the  other  an  ethical 
statement  of  it.  The  one  sets  forth  the  acts  and 
words  which  prove  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son 
of  God.  The  other  brings  to  light  the  acts  and 
words  which  are  obligatory  on  those  who  believe 
this  great  truth. 

The  Gospel  has  been  well  called  a  summary  of 
Cliristian  Theology.  This  Letter  gives  us  the  first 
great  principles  of  Christian  Ethics.  Between  the 
two  we  have  a  wonderful  setting  forth  of  the  funda- 
mental teachings  of  Christianity.  In  the  Gospel 
they  are  given  as  the  foundation  of  the  Christian 
faith.  In  the  Letter  they  are  shown  to  be  the 
foundation  of  the  Christian  life.  In  the  Gospel 
we  see  the  perfect  life  of  God  as  it  was  realized  in 
an  historical  person.  In  the  Letter  we  learn  how 
to  reproduce  that  life  in  ourselves  even  though  in 
the  end  we  are  compelled  to  acknowledge  ourselves 
but     poor     products    and     imperfect     Christians. 


PREFACE.  ix 

Finally,  the  Gospel  suggests  principles  of  conduct 
which  the  Letter  lays  down  explicitly.  The  Letter 
implies  facts  which  the  Gospel  states  as  historically 
true. 

Like  the  Gospel  and  Revelation  this  Letter  also 
is  divided  into  threes  and  sevens.  It  has  Intro- 
duction, main  body  of  the  Letter  and  Conclusion. 

The  main   portion  treats  of  two  great  subjects, 
God  as   Light  and  God  as  Love,  each  of  which 
again  is  divided  into  seven  distinct  subdivisions. 
Frank  Schell  Ballentine, 

Chrisfs  Church  Re  dory, 

Scranton,  Pa.,  Trinitytide,  igoi. 


S.  JOHN. 

(Second  Letter.) 


PREFACE. 

Short  as  this  Letter  is,  it  gives  us  a  look  at  the 
last  of  all  the  Apostles  as  we  would  not  otherwise 
see  him.  Here  he  appears  before  us  as  the  shep- 
herd of  individual  souls.  Whether  it  is  held  to  be 
addressed  to  a  Church  or  to  a  lady  this  holds  true. 
It  is  written,  on  either  supposition,  for  the  sake  of 
particular  persons  in  whom  he  is  particularly 
interested.  Here  we  see  the  Apostle,  as  it  were,  at 
home.  He  is  speaking  as  a  friend  to  a  friend,  and 
we  enjoy  the  flavor  of  their  social  intimacy.  We 
have  a  precious  specimen  here  of  the  private  cor- 
respondence of  an  Apostle.  We  are  allowed  to  see 
how  the  beloved  disciple  at  the  close  of  a  long  life 
could  write  to  a  Christian  lady  respecting  her 
personal  conduct. 

Frank  Schell  Ballentine, 

Christ'' s  Church  Rectory, 
Scranton,  Fa.^  Tritiitytide,  igoi. 

X 


S.  JOHN. 

(Third  Letter.) 


PREFACE. 

This  is  another  sample  of  the  private  correspond- 
ence of  an  Apostle.  It  is  not  an  official  letter 
like  those  of  S.  Paul  to  Timothy  and  Titus,  but  a 
private  one,  like  that  to  Philemon.  This  Letter 
was  no  doubt  written  about  the  same  time  as  the 
second  Letter  and  so  towards  the  close  of  S.  John's 
hfe. 

The  second  and  third  Letters  lead  us  to  the  more 
average  every-day  life  of  Christendom  at  the  end 
of  the  first  century.  The  tone  of  their  Chris- 
tianity is  deep,  earnest,  severe  and  devout.  Yet  it 
has  the  quiet  of  the  Christian  Church  and  home  as 
at  present  constituted.  The  writer  is  grave  and  re- 
served. He  condemns  the  spirit  of  heresy  in  the 
second  Letter.  His  condemnation  of  the  spirit  of 
schism  is  written  in  the  third. 

Frank  Schell  Ballentine, 

Christ^s  Church  Rectory, 

Scranton,  Pa.,  Trinitytide,  igoi. 


THE    REVELATION  OF  S.  JOHN 


PREFACE. 

The  Revelation  of  S.  John  is  a  Christian  Epic. 
It  is  more  than  that.  It  is  The  Great  Universal 
Epic  of  the  Ages,  The  dramatic  element  runs  like 
a  golden  thread  through  the  whole,  and  the  lyric 
bursts  out  from  time  to  time  in  outpourings  of  the 
soul  towards  God  unsurpassed  by  the  God-in- 
toxicated prophets  and  Psalmists  of  old,  yet  it  is  the 
epic  which  predominates  and  gives  its  majestic  tone 
and  character  to  the  whole. 

A  true  understanding  of  this  noble  poem  rests  on 
the  recognition  of  the  one  great  fact  that  the  symbol 
and  not  the  image  is  the  characteristic  feature  of  its 
figure  of  speech. 

The  imagery  of  other  world  poets  can  be  fitted 
into  pictures.  But  Hebrew  symbolism,  such  as 
that  of  Revelation,  never. 

If  this  fundamental  fact  is  remembered  much 
misunderstanding  of  this  great  Poet  will  be  avoided 
and  his  thought  and  feeling  will  be  appreciated  as 
never  before.  In  interpreting  such  symbolism  we 
need  to  school  ourselves  constantly  in  self-restraint. 
We  must  not  take  it  for  granted  that  every  partic- 


PREFACE.  xiii 

ular  personage  is  meant  to  convey  to  our  minds  a 
definite  idea.  We  are  not  to  spoil  the  effect  of  the 
whole  by  stopping  to  look  for  a  meaning  in  every 
detail  of  a  complex  presentation. 

The  Revelation  is  a  Vision  of  visions.  It  is  not 
to  be  judged  by  the  laws  of  time.  For  while  on 
the  shadowy  background  of  this  dream  movement 
the  successive  scenes  do  appeal  to  the  imagination 
as  a  sequence  of  dim  but  majestic  pictures,  yet  the 
relation  of  the  several  parts  to  the  whole  is  not  that 
of  temporal  succession.  The  visions  of  the  Seals, 
and  of  the  Trumpets,  and  of  the  Bowls,  form  three 
distinct  groups  of  scenes  from  three  distinct  points 
of  view. 

The  earlier  visions  of  the  Seals  bring  to  our  view 
the  ordinary  phenomena  of  the  world's  great  story, 
— war,  famine,  death,  revolution.  The  series  of 
the  Trumpets  shows  us  another, — a  spiritual  war 
carried  on  in  the  world — a  war  of  which  the 
changes  and  chances  of  this  mortal  life  are  but 
the  external  signs  and  tokens,  and  the  constant 
reminders  that  *'our  struggle  is  not  against  flesh 
and  blood,  but  against  various  orders  of  fallen 
angels,  against  those  who  hold  sway  in  the  dark- 
ness around  us,  against  those  wicked  spirits  in  the 
air  above  us."  The  third  series  of  visions  in  which 
the  Bowls  are  brought  to  view  shows  us  that  the  war 
carried  on  here  among  men,  and  in  men,  has  also 


xiv  PREFACE. 

its  heavenly  counterpart.  In  other  words,  the  real 
conflict  in  which  we  are  all  engaged  is  not  simply 
between  good  men  and  bad  men,  nor  is  it  only  be- 
tween man  as  such,  and  the  devil.  Our  God  is  the 
All-ruler,  his  Son  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Alpha  and 
Omega  of  his  creation  and  government,  and  it  is 
he  who  is  our  all-conquering  fellow  who  is  con- 
stantly planning  and  fighting  for  us. 


From  beginning  to  end  the  numbers  three  and 
seven  are  constantly  recurring.  At  first  we  read  of 
the  Seven  Stars  and  the  Seven  Gold  Lampstands. 
Then  we  hear  of  the  Seven  Angels  of  the  Seven 
Churches.  The  Book  is  sealed  with  Seven  Seals. 
There  are  Seven  Kings.  There  are  Seven  Thun- 
ders. The  Lamb  has  Seven  Horns  and  Seven  Eyes 
which  are  the  Seven  Spirits  of  God.  There  are 
Seven  Benedictions  in  the  course  of  the  Visions. 
Seven  Choruses  are  sung  with  ascriptions  of  from  a 
threefold  to  a  sevenfold  character.  Seven  Angels 
come  forward  with  Seven  Trumpets.  The  Red 
Dragon  has  Seven  Heads  with  Seven  Diadems. 
He  sweeps  down  a  third  of  the  stars.  A  third  of 
the  Sun,  Moon  and  Stars  is  darkened.  A  third  of 
earth,  sea,  trees,  etc.,  is  destroyed.  There  are 
three  woes.  There  are  three  books.  There  are 
Seven  Bowls  in  three  acts.     The  Chorus  of  Baby- 


PREFACE.  XV 

Ion's  woe  is  three  times  sung  by  three  different  sets 
of  men,  Kings,  Merchants,  Seamen. 

The  Revealer  delights  in  these  symbolic  numbers. 


An  intelligent  and  devout  reader  of  the  Book  of 
Revelation  was  once  asked  :  ''  What  is  the  form 
the  Book  presents  to  you  ?  ' ' 

'*  It  is  Chaos,"  was  his  reply. 

And  he  voiced  the  sentiment  of  many  who  have 
tried  their  best,  and  in  vain,  to  unravel  the  thread' 
of  its  meaning  as  it  winds  in  and  out  among  its 
sublime  and  shifting  scenes. 

If  one  of  Shakespeare's  plays  were  presented  to- 
day so  that  preludes  and  contents,  arguments  and 
comments,  visions,  choruses,  prologues,  and 
epilogues,  ran  straight  on  in  ordinary  prose  para- 
graphs or  verses,  without  any  such  ordering  of  the 
text  as  the  modern  reader  is  used  to,  and  without 
the  traditional  modes  of  recitation  which  the 
ancients  with  their  stronger  memory  enjoyed,  Chaos 
would  it  indeed  become. 

That  is  just  what  has  befallen  the  Book  of  the 
Revelation  of  S.  John. 

Not  that  it  is  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  term  a 
complete  and  well  rounded  Drama  like  one  of 
Shakespeare's  plays.  For  it  is  not.  Yet,  as  al- 
ready intimated,  it  is  dramatic  and  has  the  dramatic 


xvi  PREFACE. 

element  running  through  it.  It  is  like  the  relating 
of  a  Drama.  It  is  a  narrative  of  scenes  and  acts 
which  passed  before  the  eye  of  the  Seer. 


The  Persons  of  the  Drama. 

In  this  communication  of  the  Eternal  Father  to 
his  people  there  are  three  persons  through  whom  it 
comes,  Jesus  Christ,  the  Angel,  S.  John.  Readers 
and  hearers  are  of  course  assumed. 

1.  Christ  appears  as  the  Lamb  in  the  midst  of 
the  Throne  ;  the  Rider  sitting  on  the  White  Horse  ; 
the  Boy,  the  Seed  of  the  Woman,  the  predestined 
Shepherd  of  the  Nations  ;  the  Lamb  on  Sion  ;  the 
Reaper  of  the  earth ;  as  mounted  again  on  his 
White  Horse  at  the  head  of  the  heavenly  armies  ; 
as  the  Judge  ;  as  occupying  one  Throne  with  God. 

2.  The  enemies  of  Christ  are  : 
First,  the  Destroyer. 

This  Destroyer  evokes  other  agents  from  earth  and 
sea ;  the  Wild  Beast,  his  False  Prophet,  the  Figure 
made  on  earth,  animated  by  the  False  Prophet  and 
worshipped.  Each  of  these  breathes  out  another 
Tempting  Power.  Then  comes  the  Woman  and 
the  Scarlet  Wild  Beast.     As  Christ  is  presented,  not 


PREFACE.  xvii 

completely,  but  as  completely  as  each  subordinate 
vision  requires,  so  in  order  to  present  as  complete 
an  idea  as  possible  of  his  enemies  they  also  are 
brought  before  us  under  very  diverse  and  thoroughly 
characteristic  aspects.  They,  too,  can  only  enter 
a  Divine  Drama  in  the  form  of  Beings.  Such 
representations  of  foes  are  the  two  Riders  who  ride 
across  the  heavens  in  the  wake  of  the  Conqueror 
and  the  Destroyer. 

3.  The  organic  Priesthood  is  represented  as 
vested  in  Angels,  just  as  the  oversight  of  the 
Churches  is  so  represented  in  the  Angels  of  the 
Seven  introductory  Letters.  The  Priesthood  of  the 
whole  is  found  in  those  Blessed  ones  who  have  part 
in  the  First  Resurrection. 

The  organic  human  Priesthood  may  become 
corrupt.  It  is  thus  the  Dispenser  or  Steward  of 
God  becomes  a  power  adverse  to  his  Master  and 
Author.     He  is  the  Third  Rider  (6  :   5,6). 

4.  There  is  a  Fourth  Figure, — the  last  Enemy 
which  will  be  destroyed, — Death. 

The  impersonation  of  Death  as  a  living  enemy  is 
universal.  Such  impersonation  is  necessary  to 
bring  principles  up  to  the  possibilities  of  representa- 
tion on  their  own  true  level.  I'hus  ^schylus  has 
Violence  and  Might  rivetting  the  limbs  of  Prome- 
theus, and  Euripides  has  Death  in  dialogue  with 
Apollo. 


xviii  PREFA  CE. 

5.  The  process  of  the  conversion  of  man  to 
God  is  not  described.  It  is  the  assumed  fact  of 
the  whole  book.  To  the  last  the  People  of  God 
are  living  on  in  the  midst  of  the  Great  World  City. 
It  is  not  till  the  immediate  approach  of  its  over- 
throw an  Exodus  is  proclaimed. 

The  thought  of  the  Four  Principles  dramatized 
in  the  book  is  consistent  through  the  whole  of  it. 

The  White-horsed  crowned  Christ  (6:2)  is  the 
final  Conqueror  (19:11).  The  Red-horsed  De- 
stroyer, and  the  False  Steward  of  the  Black-horse 
who  depraves  religion  (6:3-6)  are  analyzed  in  the 
developed  action  into  the  Red  Dragon,  the  Wild 
Beast  of  the  Sea,  the  False  Prophet  or  Wild  Beast  of 
the  Land  (19:19;  20:10;  13:11),  and  the  Scarlet 
Queen  with  her  Wild  Beast  who  perhaps  is  the 
Dragon  reappearing  (17:3).  The  Destroyer  and 
all  his  destroying  and  corrupting  agents  are  shown 
first  under  the  image  of  the  Red  and  Black  Riders. 
They  are  conquered  and  perish  (19  :  19,20  ;  20  :  10). 
The  Death  and  Hades  of  the  Pale  Horse  (6:7,8) 
restore  their  victims  (20:13)  and  perish  also 
(20:14). 


PREFACE.  xix 

The  Angel-Guide  and  S.  John, 
This  Angel  takes  his  part  in  the  several  scenes 
according  to  the  purpose  of  his  Master  and  when 
his  part  is  done  he  twice  comes  to  the  side  of  S. 
John  and  takes  him  with  him  to  show  him  the  Two 
Cities.  Up  to  this  time  he  has  his  eye  on  him  and 
directs  him  by  word.  When  he  comes  to  him  he 
each  time  says  :    *'  Here,  I  will  show  you." 

The  Angel  has  his  commission  to  guide  and  to 
exhibit,  S.  John  has  his  to  note  and  write  down  the 
Revelation.  He  is  represented  as  having  the  book 
in  which  he  is  to  write  with  him  throughout  the 
scenes. 

The  Scene. 

The  external  world  in  which,  for  us,  spiritual 
facts  become  known  is  not  altered.  But  real  be- 
ings and  real  regions,  to  us  commonly  invisible,  be- 
come visible,  and  besides  certain  things  are  added, 
that  is,  certain  material  forms  are  exhibited  which 
stand  for  physical  and  spiritual  and  political  ab- 
stractions. For,  in  an  Apocalypse,  abstractions 
may  wear  forms  of  cities,  persons,  monsters. 

The  vast  and  immeasurable  stage  here  brought 
out  plainly  to  our  view  has  nothing  to  do  with 
playwright  or  artist.  The  universal  soul  of  man 
recognizes  it  and  that  is  enough.  All  is  unmeas- 
ured alike  in  space  and  time. 


XX  PREFACE. 

The  scene  is  shifted  at  three  different  points. 
The  Island  of  Patmos  is  first  brought  to  view,  then 
earth  and  heaven  as  they  are  seen  and  understood 
by  an  ordinary  looker  on,  then  a  fresh  Heaven  and 
a  fresh  earth. 

The  Scene  of  the  first  three  chapters  is  Patmos. 

The  Seer  next  passes  through  the  sky  by  a  door 
to  the  place  of  the  mystic  Hving  Throne  and  the 
Throned -One. 

At  the  bidding  of  the  voice  he  writes,  he  goes 
down  to  a  sea-beach,  and  then  is  set  to  measure  the 
earthly  Temple. 

He  is  taken  to  a  Wilderness  to  see  the  World- 
Queen.  He  is  again  near  the  Throne.  Again  he 
is  taken  by  the  angel  to  a  Mountain  in  a  new  earth 
to  see  the  descent  of  the  New  City,  the  Lamb's 
Bride. 


The  Choric  Songs. 

Seven  Choric  Songs  divide  the  Scenes  at  the 
points  of  crisis.  They  emphasize  the  point  attained, 
commenting  on  what  is  past.  In  two  instances 
(11:15;  12:10)  they  disclose  the  outline  of  the 
next  immediate  action.  The  last  has  two  parts, 
passing  from  the  pasan  of  Victory  to  the  Bridal 
Song.  In  this  they  are  like  some  of  the  mysterious 
Ciioruses  of  Greek  Tragedy.      Read  in  series  tliey 


PREFACE.  xxi 

give  a  distinct  thread  of  the  scenes  viewed  from 
their  own  standpoint — the  heavenly.  One  Chorus 
(14:3)  is  only  described,  not  given  in  full  like  the 
rest. 

Boldly  and  fully  these  Choruses  recognize  that 
the  reign  of  God,  so  far  as  its  recognition  is  con- 
cerned, is  limited  now  by  his  own  patience,  and  in 
its  fullness  it  has  to  be  won. 

The  Attributes  and  Beatitudes  are  Three  when 
they  are  ascribed  to  God  immediately  around  his 
Throne.  They  are  Seven  when  uttered  by  the 
Angels.  They  are  Four  when  offered  by  the  rest 
of  Creation.  In  other  words,  the  numbers  here 
must  be  regarded  as  more  than  symbols  when  used 
in  these  relations  to  the  Divine,  the  Perfect,  and 
the  Created. 

The  typical  construction  of  the  Choruses  is  as 
follows  : 

1.  A  verse  sung  by  separate  voices  or  by  a 
smaller  number. 

2.  A  full  chorus  sung  by  a  second  larger  body 
in  one  case  duplicated  or  reechoed  by  a  third  yet 
larger. 

In  the  first  (4:  8)  the  four  Cherubs  sing  the  verse, 
the  Twenty-four  Elders  the  chorus. 

In  the  second  (5  :g)  the  Elders  and  Cherubs  to- 
gether sing  the  verse,  many  Angels  the  Chorus, 
which  is  taken  up  again  by  all  Creation. 


XX 11  rii  I'll' A  <!!<:. 

Ji>  tlic  tliird  (7  ■.())  llic  Saved  :.ii)/.^  llic  verse.  All 
Aii^cls  the  (.'i)(>nis. 

ill  I  he  foiirlh  Cm  ii^)  lie;i,veiily  Vok  <•;. ',iii|^  lh(r 
vci.c,  Ihe  MMei!.  the  (  !h(»Mi!,. 

'rh<-  vvouls  of  Ihe  hilh  rhoiii:,  ff/|:.ij  ;ne  iiol, 
f^'ivcMi.  lint  il  is  Siiid  its  soiiimI  lie^iiis  wilh  the 
Voire  of  (.'hrist,  then  of  the  ("heiiil)  ThroiKr,  niid 
the  II;ii|)'.  of  Ihe  ICIders,  then  hy  the  iniiidred  ;iiid 
ioily  four  llioii:,:iiid  vir/dii  <  ()iii|>;iiiioiis  of  the 
Latiih 

'I'iic  Sixth  ('lioriis  (15:2;  is  (hauled  full. 

The  Seventh  (.'horns  (\<)  :  1  7)  is  the  <  liniax.  It 
sum:.  n|)  the  whole  ieni;iiiiiii|^  ;m  lion  of  the  hook. 
In  ( onstriK  tion  it  is  doubled.  lOach  part  has  the 
usual  ujcnibcrs  ol  a  Chorus,  but  inverted  in  liic 
firHt  part. 

All  llie:,<-  (lionises  are  lyrics  vvlii(  h  not  only 
(•(jiial,  but  e.isily  siirjiass,  those  of  iIk*  (Hhervvise  in- 
imitable I'indar,  while  th(!  I'oeni  as  a  whole  is  a 
nobler  epic,  a  ^'rander  poem  and  far  more  sublime, 
th.iii  the  ollieivvis(r  surpassingly  great  and  most  j»er- 
fe(  I  of    |»(jeni:;,  the  Iliad  of   1  lom(;r. 

The  I)ii|'e  over  I'.abylon  is  no  jiart  of  tlu.* 
('horuses,  but  it  has  a  remarkable  ( ()nstru(  tion  and 
should  be  n()t(*d  in  conneetion  with  them.  See  notes 
on  iH  :  I   -~n):/\. 


I'liKFACK.  xxiii 

'\\\(:  Revelation  is  full  of  (Jlirist.  The  Lamb  is 
the  axis  round  vvhieh  the  world  of  its  scenery  moves. 
He  is  the  key  to  the  whole  situation.  He  is  the 
ojjly  infallible  means  through  whom  can  be  un- 
locked the  great  secret  truth  of  earth's  real  history. 
So  it  is  in  him  we  see  the  victory  of  Christ's  de- 
voted ones.  It  is  of  him  their  song  of  trium[jh 
tells.  It  is  h(-  who  put  the  New  Song  in  their 
mouth.  It  is  in  him  everything  is  reconciled  and 
made  mete  for  the  Father's  use. 

FkANK   ScfiKLI-   BaLLKN'JINK, 
ChrisCs   CJiurrh  Rectory, 

Srrunion,  /'a.,  7'ri>iitylide,  ic^oi. 


S.  JOHN. 

(Gospel.) 


I. 

In  the  beginning  was  the  Word, 

And  the  Word  was  with  God, 

And  the  Word  was  God. 
He  was  in  the  beginning  with  God. 

Everything  made  its  appearance. 

Through  him, 

And  without  him 
Not  a  thing  made  its  appearance. 

What  has  made  its  appearance  in  him  was  Life, 
And  the  Life  was  the  Light  of  men. 

And  the  Light  keeps  shining  in  the  darkness. 
And   the   darkness  never  became  thoroughly 
permeated  by  it. 


INTROD  UCTION.  S.  John 


A  man  sent  from  God  made  his  appearance. 
His  name  was  John. 

He  came  for  witness 

To  bear  witness  about  the  Light, 

So  that  everybody  might  believe  through  him. 
He  was  not  the  Light, 
But  came  to  bear  witness  about  the  Light. 

The  Light,  the  True  Light,  which  keeps  hghting 

everybody. 
Kept  coming  into  the  world. 
He  was  in  the  world. 
And  the  world  made  its  appearance  through 

him, 
And  the  world  never  came  to  know  him. 
He  came  to  his  own  possessions. 
And  his  own  people  did  not  receive  him. 

But  as  many  as  received  him, 

To  them  gave  he  the  right 

To  become  children  of  God, 
To  those  who  keep  believing  in  his  name. 
Who  were  begotten,  not  by  blood, 

Nor  by  the  will  of  the  flesh. 

Nor  by  the  will  of  man, 
But  by  God. 


s.^.ToiiN  INTRODUCTION.  5 

3- 

So  the  Word  became  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  lis, 

And  we  looked  at  his  glory. 

Glory  as  of  the  only  begotten  from  the  Father, 
Full  of  divine  favor  and  truth. 

John  keeps  bearing  witness  about  him,  and  keeps 
crying  : 
"  This  is  he  of  whom  I  said, 
He  who  is  coming  after   me   has  come  to  be 
before  me. 
For  he  was  before  I  came  into  existence." 
For  out  of  his  fulness  we  all  kept  receiving. 
And  favor  upon  favor. 
For  the  law  was  given  through  Moses. 
Favor   and    truth   kept   coming    through    Jesus 
Christ. 

No  one  has  ever  yet  seen  God. 
The  Only  Begotten  Son 
Who  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father, 

He  has  made  him  known. 


6  THE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S.John 

I. 

And  the  witness  of  John  is  this,  when  the  Jews 
sent  Priests  and  Levites  from  Jerusalem  to  ask  him, 
''  Who  are  you?  " 

"  I  am  not  the  Christ,"  said  he,  nor  did  he  deny 
it. 

"  What  then  are  you  ?     Are  you  Ehjah  ?  " 

''I  am  not." 

'*  Are  you  the  Prophet  ?  " 

''No." 

"  Who  are  you?  so  that  we  may  give  an  answer 
to  those  who  sent  us.  What  do  you  say  about 
yourself  ? ' ' 

''I  am  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilder- 
ness, 

Make  straight  the  way  of  the  Lord, 

as  said  the  Prophet  Isaiah." 

They  had  been  sent  from  the  Pharisees.  And 
they  asked  him  : 

"  Why  are  you  purifying  then,  if  you  are  not  the 
Christ,  nor  Elijah,  nor  the  Prophet?" 

"I  am  purifying  with  water.  But  one  whom 
you  do  not  know  is  standing  among  you,  he  who  is 
coming  after  me.  I  am  not  worthy  to  untie  his 
shoestrings." 

These  things  were  done  in  Bethany  beyond 
Jordan  where  John  was  purifying. 


S.  JOHN  MANIFESTED.  1 

1:  29. 

"  Look  !  the  Lamb  of  God  who  is  taking  away 
the  sin  of  the  world  !  "  said  John  the  next  day  as 
he  saw  Jesus  coming  to  him.  "  This  is  he  of  whom 
I  said,  A  man  who  has  come  to  be  before  me  is 
coming  after  me.  For  he  was  before  I  came  into 
being  and  I  did  not  know  him.  But  I  came  puri- 
fying with  water  so  that  he  might  be  made  known 
to  Israel." 

"  I  saw  the  Spirit  descending  from  heaven  like  a 
dove,"  John  continued  to  witness,  "and  it  con- 
tinued on  him.  And  I  did  not  know  him.  But 
he  who  sent  me  to  purify  with  water  said  to  me : 
Upon  whomever  you  shall  see  the  Spirit  descend- 
ing and  continuing  on  him,  he  is  he  who  is  purify- 
ing with  the  Holy  Spirit.  So  I  have  seen  and 
have  borne  witness  that  this  is  the  Son  of  God." 

Again  the  next  day  after,  John  was  standing  and 
two  of  his  disciples. 

"Look,  the  Lamb  of  God!"  he  said,  looking 
on  Jesus  as  he  was  walking! 

The  two  disciples  heard  him  speak  and  followed 
Jesus. 

"What  are  you  seeking?"  said  Jesus  as  he 
turned  and  saw  them  following. 

"Rabbi,"  that  is,  Teacher,  they  answered, 
"  where  do  you  live  ?  " 

"Come  and  see." 


8  THE    WORD   3IADE  FLESH.         \^^,j^^ 

They  came  and  saw  where  he  was  living  and 
staid  with  him  that  day.  For  it  was  about  four 
o'clock. 

One  of  the  two  who  heard  John  speak  and  fol- 
lowed Jesus,  was  Andrew,  Simon  Peter's  brother. 
He  was  the  first  to  find  his  own  brother  Simon. 

"We  have  found  the  Messiah,"  he  said,  which 
means,  the  Christ.     So  he  brought  him  to  Jesus. 

''You  are  Simon  the  son  of  John,"  said  Jesus 
when  he  saw  him.  *'  You  shall  be  called  Cephas," 
which  means  a  stone. 


The  next  day  Jesus  wanted  to  go  into  Galilee. 
He  found  Philip. 

''Follow  me,"  he  said. 

Philip  was  of  Bethsaida  the  city  of  Andrew  and 
Peter.     He  found  Nathaniel. 

"We  have  found  him  about  whom  Moses  in  the 
law,  and  the  Prophets  wrote,"  he  said,  "Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  the  Son  of  Joseph." 

"  Can  any  good  thing  come  out  of  Nazareth  ?  " 

"Come  and  see." 

"  Look  !  an  Israelite,  indeed,  in  whom  is  no 
guile,"  said  Jesus  about  Nathaniel  when  he  saw  him 
coming. 

"  How  is  it  that  you  are  acquainted  with  me  ?  " 
said  Nathaniel  to  him. 


S.JOHN    3IANIFESTED   TO  INDIVIDUALS.  9 

1:  48. 

''  Before  Philip  called  you  while  you  were  under 
the  fig-tree,  I  saw  you." 

''  Rabbi,  you  are  the  Son  of  God.  You  are  the 
King  of  Israel." 

'^  Because  I  told  you,  I  saw  you  under  the  fig- 
tree,  do  you  believe  ?  You  shall  see  greater  things 
than  these." 

''  Most  truly  I  tell  you,"  Jesus  continued.  ''  You 
shall  see  heaven  open,  and  the  angels  of  God 
ascending  and  descending  on  the  Son  of  man." 


2. 

The  third  day  there  was  a  marriage  in  Cana  of 
Galilee  and  the  mother  of  Jesus  was  there,  and 
both  Jesus  and  his  disciples  were  invited  to  the 
marriage.  And  when  the  wine  failed,  the  mother 
of  Jesus  said  to  him  : 

'*  They  have  no  wine." 

<<  What  do  you  want  me  to  do,  mother  ?  "  Jesus 
answered.     ''  My  time  has  not  yet  come." 

''Do  whatever  he  tells  you,"  said  his  mother 
to  the  servants. 

Now  according  to  the  Jews'  way  of  purifying 
there  were  set  there  six  stone  water  jars  containing 
twenty  or  thirty  gallons  apiece. 

''Fill  the  water  jars  with  water,"  said  Jesus. 

They  filled  them  up  to  the  brim. 


10  THE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S.John 

2:  8. 

*'  Draw  out  now  and  carry  it  to  the  Master  of 
the  feast." 

They  carried  it.  So  when  the  master  of  the 
feast  tasted  the  water  become  wine  and  did  not 
know  where  it  came  from,  but  the  servants  who 
had  drawn  the  water  knew,  he  called  the  bride- 
groom. 

''Everybody  at  first  sets  out  good  wine,"  he 
said,  ''and  when  they  have  drunk  freely,  then 
what  is  worse.  But  you  have  kept  the  good  wine 
till  now." 

Jesus  did  this  beginning  of  his  signs  in  Cana  of 
Galilee  and  made  known  his  majesty,  and  his  dis- 
ciples believed  in  him. 


3- 

After  this  Jesus  went  down  to  Capernaum,  he, 
his  mother,  brothers,  and  disciples.  But  they 
staid  there  only  a  few  days. 

The  Jews'  Passover  was  at  hand,  and  Jesus  went 
up  to  Jerusalem,  and  he  found  in  the  Temple 
those  who  were  selling  oxen,  sheep  and  doves  and 
the  changers  of  money  sitting.  So  when  he  had 
made  a  whip  of  cords  he  drove  them  all  out  of  the 
Temple,  and  the  sheep  and  oxen.  He  poured  out 
the  changers'  money  and  overturned  the  tables. 

"Take   these  things  out  of  here,"  he  said  to 


S.JOHN    MANIFESTED   TO  INDIVIDUALS.  11 

those  who  were  selling  doves.      ''  Do  not  make  my 
Father's  House  a  house  of  merchandise." 

His  disciples  remembered  it  was  written, 
"The  zeal  for  thine  house  hath  eaten  me  up." 

''What  sign  do  you  show  us,"  answered  the 
Jews,  "  seeing  you  do  these  things?  " 

''Destroy  this  temple  and  in  three  days  I  will 
raise  it  up." 

"Forty-six  years  was  this  Temple  in  building 
and  will  you  raise  it  up  in  three  days  ?  " 

He  was  speaking  of  the  temple  of  his  body.  So 
when  he  was  raised  from  the  dead  his  disciples 
remembered  he  had  said  this  to  them.  So  they 
believed  the  Scripture  and  what  Jesus  had  said. 

4- 

When  he  was  in  Jerusalem  at  the  Passover, 
during  the  feast,  many  believed  in  his  name  when 
they  looked  at  the  signs  he  was  doing.  But  Jesus 
did  not  trust  himself  to  them,  because  he  had  got- 
ten to  know  everybody  and  did  not  need  any  one 
to  tell  him  about  anybody.  For  he  himself  had 
gotten  to  know  what  was  in  the  man. 

There  was  a  man  of  the  Pharisees  named  Nicode- 
mus,  a  ruler  of  the  Jews.  This  man  came  to  Jesus 
by  night. 

"  Rabbi,"  he  said,  "  we  know  you  are  a  teacher 
come  from  God.  For  no  one  can  do  these  signs 
which  you  are  doing  except  God  is  with  him," 


12  THE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.  S.John 

''  Most  truly  I  tell  you,"  answered  Jesus,  "  Ex- 
cept a  man  is  born  from  above  he  cannot  see  the 
Kingdom  of  God." 

"  How  can  a  man  be  born  when  he  is  old  ?  Can 
he  enter  a  second  time  into  his  mother  and  be 
born?" 

''Most  truly  I  tell  you,  Except  a  man  is  born 
of  water  and  the  Spirit  he  cannot  enter  the  King- 
dom of  God.  What  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh. 
What  is  born  of  the  Spirit  is  spirit.  Do  not  won- 
der because  I  told  you.  You  must  be  born  from 
above.  The  Spirit  breathes  where  he  desires  and 
you  hear  his  voice.  But  you  cannot  tell  where  he 
comes  from,  nor  where  he  is  going.  So  is  every 
one  who  is  born  of  the  Spirit." 

*'  How  can  this  be?  " 

*'  Are  you  the  teacher  of  Israel  and  do  not  know 
this  ?  Most  truly  I  tell  you.  We  talk  about  what 
we  know  and  bear  witness  to  what  we  have  seen, 
and  you  do  not  receive  our  witness.  If  I  have  told 
you  earthly  things  and  you  do  not  believe,  how 
shall  you  believe  if  I  tell  you  heavenly  things  ?  No 
one  has  ascended  up  to  heaven  but  he  who  came 
down  from  heaven,  that  is,  the  Son  of  man  who  is 
in  heaven.  And  just  as  Moses  lifted  up  the  ser- 
pent in  the  wilderness  so  must  the  Son  of  man  be 
lifted  up  so  that  whoever  believes  in  him  may 
have  eternal  life." 


S.John  MANIFESTED    TO  ALL.  13 

3:  16. 

For  God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his 
only  begotten  Son  so  that  whoever  believes  in  him 
should  not  perish  but  have  eternal  life.  For  God 
did  not  send  his  Son  into  the  world  to  condemn 
the  world,  but  so  that  the  world  through  Him  might 
be  saved.  He  who  believes  in  him  is  not  con- 
demned. But  he  who  does  not  believe  is  con- 
demned already  because  he  has  not  believed  in  the 
name  of  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God.  And  the 
condemnation  is  this,  that  light  has  come  into  the 
world  and  men  loved  darkness  rather  than  light, 
because  their  deeds  were  evil. 

For  every  one  who  keeps  doing  wrong 

Hates  the  light,  and  keeps  away  from  the  light, 
So  that  his  deeds  may  not  be  detected. 
But  he  who  keeps  doing  right 
Comes  to  the  light 

So  that  his  deeds  may  be  shown  to  have  been 
done  in  reliance  on  God. 

5- 

After  this  Jesus  and  his  disciples  came  into  the 
land  of  Judaea,  and  he  was  staying  there  with  them 
and  purifying. 

John  also  was  purifying  in  ^non  near  Salim,  be- 
cause there  were  many  springs  of  water  there.  So 
people  kept  coming  and  were  being  purified.  For 
John  had  not  yet  been  thrown  into  prison. 


14  THE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.         ^  "John 

3;  25. 

There  sprang  up  a  questioning  on  the  part  of 
John's  disciples  and  a  Jew  about  purifying.  They 
came  to  John. 

''Rabbi,"  they  said,  ''he  who  was  with  you  be- 
yond Jordan,  to  whom  you  bore  witness,  is  puri- 
fying and  everybody  is  coming  to  him." 

"A  man  can  receive  nothing,"  answered  John, 
"  except  it  has  been  given  to  him  from  heaven. 
You  yourselves  bear  me  witness  that  I  said,  I  am  not 
the  Christ,  but  have  been  sent  before  him.  He 
who  has  the  bride  is  the  bridegroom.  But  the 
friend  of  the  bridegroom,  who  stands  and  hears 
him,  rejoices  greatly  because  of  the  bridegroom's 
voice.  So  this  my  joy  is  made  full.  He  must  in- 
crease but  I  must  decrease. ' ' 

He  who  comes  from  above  is  above  all.  He 
who  is  from  the  earth,  from  the  earth  he  is,  and 
from  the  earth's  point  of  view  he  speaks.  He  who 
comes  from  heaven  is  above  all.  What  he  has 
seen  and  heard  he  bears  witness  to,  and  no  one  re- 
ceives his  witness.  He  who  has  received  his  wit- 
ness has  set  to  his  seal  that  God  is  true.  For  he 
whom  God  has  sent  speaks  the  words  of  God. 
For  he  does  not  give  the  Spirit  by  measure.  The 
Father  loves  the  Son  and  has  given  everything  into 
his  hand. 


S.JOHN  MANIFESTED   TO  ALL.  15 

a:  36. 

He  who  believes  in  the  Son,  has  eternal  life  ; 
But  he  who  does  not  obey  the  Son  will  not  see 

life; 
But  the  wrath  of  God  continues  on  him. 

6. 

When  the  Lord  got  to  know  how  the  Pharisees 
had  heard  Jesus  was  making  and  purifying  more 
disciples  than  John,  though  Jesus  himself  was  not 
purifying  but  his  disciples,  he  left  Judaea  and 
went  into  Galilee.  He  must  go  through  Samaria. 
Then  he  came  to  a  city  of  Samaria  called  Sychar 
near  a  plot  of  ground  which  Jacob  gave  to  his  son 
Joseph.  Now  Jacob's  well  was  there.  So  wearied 
with  his  journey  he  was  sitting  just  as  he  was  by 
the  well.  It  was  about  noon.  A  woman  of  Sa- 
maria came  out  to  draw  water. 

"  Give  me  a  drink,"  said  Jesus  to  her. 

His  disciples  had  gone  to  the  city  to  buy  food. 

**  How  is  it  that  you,  a  Jew,"  she  said,  *'ask  a 
drink  of  me,  a  woman  of  Samaria  ?  " 

The  Jews  had  no  dealings  with  the  Samaritans. 

''If  you  knew  the  gift  of  God,"  he  said,  "and 
who  it  is  who  said,  Give  me  a  drink,  you  would 
have  asked  him  and  he  would  have  given  you 
living  water." 

"You  have  nothing  to  draw  with.  Sir,  and  the 
well  is  deep.     How  can  it  be  then  that  you  have 


16  THE    WORD   3IADE   FLESH.         vS.  John 

4:  11. 

that  living  water  ?  Are  you  greater  than  our  father 
Jacob  who  gave  us  the  well,  drank  of  it  himself, 
and  his  children  and  cattle?  " 

''Whoever  drinks  this  water  will  thirst  again. 
But  whoever  drinks  the  water  I  shall  give  him  shall 
never  thirst.  For  the  water  I  shall  give  him  shall 
be  in  him  a  well  of  water  springing  up  so  as  to 
produce  eternal  life  in  him." 

*'  Give  me  this  water.  Sir,  so  that  I  may  not 
thirst,  nor  come  all  the  way  here  to  draw." 

*'Go  call  your  husband  and  come  here." 

*'I  have  no  husband." 

''  You  have  well  said,  I  have  no  husband.  For 
you  have  had  five  husbands,  and  he  whom  you 
now  have  is  not  your  husband.  When  you  said 
that  you  spoke  the  truth." 

*'  I  see.  Sir,  you  are  a  Prophet.  Our  fathers 
worshipped  in  this  mountain,  and  you  say  in 
Jerusalem  is  the  place  where  men  ought  to 
worship." 

''Believe  me,  woman,  the  time  is  coming  when 
you  shall  worship  the  Father  neither  in  this  moun- 
tain nor  yet  at  Jerusalem.  You  worship  you  do 
not  know  what.  We  know  what  we  worship,  for 
salvation  is  from  the  Jews.  But  the  time  is  coming 
and  now  is,  when  the  true  worshippers  shall  worship 
the  Father  in  spirit  and  truth.  For  the  Father  is 
seeking  such  to  worship  him.     God  is  Spirit  and 


S.JOHN  MANIFESTED    TO  ALL.  17 

4:  24. 

those  who  worship  him  must  worship  him  in  spirit 
and  truth." 

'^I  know  Messiah,  called  the  Christ,  is  com- 
ing. When  he  has  come,  he  will  tell  us  every- 
thing." 

^'  I  who  am  talking  to  you  am  he." 
■     His  disciples  then  came  and  wondered  because 
he  was  talking  to  the  woman.     Yet  no  one  said, 
What  are  you  seeking  ?  or.  Why  are  you  talking  to 
her? 

The  woman  left  her  water  pot  and  went  into  the 
city. 

''  Come  see  a  man  who  told  me  everything  I 
ever  did,"  she  said  to  the  men.  '' Surely  this  is 
not  the  Christ?  " 

They  went  out  of  the  city  and  came  to  Jesus. 
In  the  meantime  his  disciples  kept  urging  him  to 
eat. 

''Rabbi,  eat,"  they  said. 

"I  have  food  to  eat  which  you  do  not  know 
about." 

'*  Has  any  one  brought  him  something  to  eat?  " 
they  said  to  each  other. 

''My  food  is  to  do  the  will  of  him  who  sent 
me,  and  to  finish*  his  work.  Do  you  not  say  There 
are  still  four  months  and  then  comes  harvest?  I 
tell  you,  Lift  up  your  eyes  and  look  on  the  fields. 
They  are  white  already  for  harvest.     And  he  who 


18  THE   WORD  3IADE  FLESH,         s.  JohK 

4:36. 

is  reaping  is  receiving  wages  and  gathering  fruit 
for  eternal  life :  so  that  both  he  who  is  sowing  and 
he  who  is  reaping  may  rejoice  together.  And  in 
this  is  that  saying  true  :  One  sows,  another  reaps. 
I  sent  you  to  reap  what  you  never  put  any  labor  on. 
Other  men  labored,  and  you  have  come  into 
possession  of  the  fruits  of  their  labors." 

Many  Samaritans  of  that  city  believed  in  Jesus 
because  of  what  the  woman  said:  ''He  told  me 
all  I  ever  did." 

So  when  the  Samaritans  came  to  him  they  kept 
begging  him  to  stay  with  them.  So  he  stayed  there 
two  days. 

Many  more  believed  because  of  what  he  himself 
had  said,  and  so  they  said  to  the  woman : 

''  Now  we  do  not  believe  because  of  your  saying. 
For  we  have  heard  him  ourselves  and  know  this  is 
indeed  the  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the  world." 

7- 

After  two  days  Jesus  went  away  from  there  into 
Galilee.  For  he  himself  used  to  say :  ''A  Prophet 
has  no  honor  in  his  own  country."  So  when  he 
came  into  Galilee  the  Galileans  received  him  be- 
cause they  had  seen  everything  he  did  in  Jerusalem 
at  the  feast. 

So  Jesus  came  again  into  Cana  of  Galilee  where 
he  had  made  the  water  wine.     A  nobleman  whose 


S  JOHN  3IANIFESTEI)    TO   ALL.  19 

4:  46. 

-son  was  sick  at  Capernaum  was  there.  So  when 
he  heard  Jesus  had  come  out  of  Jadaea  into  Galilee, 
he  went  to  him  and  kept  begging  him  to  come 
down  and  cure  his  son,  for  he  was  at  the  point  of 
death. 

''Except    you    see    signs    and    wonders,"    said 
Jesus,  ''you  will  not  believe." 

"Come  down,  Sir,  before  my  child  dies." 
"  You  may  go.     Your  child  is  living." 
So  the  man  believed  what  Jesus  had  said  to  him, 
and  went.     And  as  he  was  now  going  down,  his 
slaves  met  him. 

"  Your  son  is  living,"  they  said. 
So   he  asked    them    the -time    he  began  to  get 
better. 

"  Yesterday  at  one  o'clock  the  fever  left  him." 
So  the  father  knew  it  was  at  the  same  time  that 
Jesus  said  to  him:    "  Your  son  is  living."     So  he 
himself  believed  and  his  whole  household. 

This  is  again  the  second  sign  Jesus  did  when  he 
had  come  out  of  Judaea  into  Galilee. 


20  TBE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S.  John 


II. 

After  this  there  was  a  feast  of  the  Jews.  So 
Jesus  went  up  to  Jerusalem. 

Now  there  was  at  Jerusalem  by  the  sheepgate,  a 
pool,  called  in  Hebrew,  Bethesda.  It  had  five 
porches.  In  these  lay  a  crowd  of  those  who  were 
sick,  some  blind,  some  lame,  some  crippled.  So 
there  was  a  man  there  who  had  been  sick  thirty- 
eight  years. 

"  Do  you  want  to  be  cured?  "  Jesus  said  to  him, 
when  he  saw  him  lying  and  realized  that  he  had 
now  been  a  long  time  in  that  condition. 

"I  have  no  one.  Sir,  when  there  is  a  move- 
ment of  the  water  to  put  me  into  the  pool. 
But  while  I  am  coming  another  steps  down  before 
me." 

"Rise.     Take  up  your  bed  and  walk." 

The  man  was  at  once  cured,  took  up  his  bed  and 
began  to  walk.  ^ 

Now  that  day  was  the  Sabbath. 

'*It  is  the  Sabbath,"  the  Jews  said  to  him  who 
was  cured.  *'  It  is  not  right  for  you  to  be  carrying 
your  bed." 

'*  He  who  cured  me  said  :  Take  up  your  bed 
and  walk." 

''Who  is  the  man  who  said  to  you :  Take  up 
your  bed  and  walk?" 


S.JOHN  THE  LIFE.  21 

5:  13. 

The  man  who  was  cured  did  not  know  who  he 
was.  For  there  was  a  crowd  in  the  place  and 
Jesus  had  gone  away.  Afterwards,  however,  Jesus 
found  him  in  the  Temple. 

''Listen,"  he  said,  ''you  are  cured.  Sin  no 
more  so  that  a  worse  thing  may  not  come  on  you." 

The  man  went  and  told  the  Jews  it  was 
Jesus  who  cured  him.  And  for  this  reason  the 
Jews  kept  persecuting  Jesus  because  he  kept  doing 
these  things  on  the  Sabbath. 

"My  Father  is  working  even  till  now,"  he 
answered  them,  "and  I  am  working." 

So  the  Jews  kept  trying  the  more  to  kill  him  be- 
cause he  had  not  only  broken  the  Sabbath,  but 
also  said  God  was  his  Father,  making  himself 
equal  to  God. 

"Most  truly  I  tell  you,"  Jesus  then  answered, 

"  The  Son  can  do  nothing  by  himself. 
Except  what  he  sees  the  Father  doing. 
For  whatever  he  is  doing 
These  in  the  same  way  does  the  Son  also  do. 

For  the  Father  loves  the  Son 

And  shows  him  everything  he  himself  does. 

And    he   will   show   him  greater  things  than 

these 
So  that  you  may  wonder. 


22  THE   WORD  MADE  FLESH.         %^^^'^ 

For  just  as  the  Father  raises  the  dead  and 

gives  them  hfe, 
So  the  Son  gives  life  to  whom  he  desires. 
For  the  Father  judges  no  one, 
But  he  gives  all  judgment  to  the  Son. 


So  that  everybody  may  honor  the  Son 
Just  as  they  honor  the  Father. 
He  who  does  not  honor  the  Son, 
Does  not  honor  the  Father  who  sent  him. 


Most  truly  I  tell  you, 

He  who  hears  what  I  say,  and  believes  in  him 
who  sent  me 

Has  eternal  life,  and  does  not  come  into  judg- 
ment. 

But  has  passed  from  death  to  life. 


Most  truly  I  tell  you, 

The  time  is  coming,  and  now  is. 

When  the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the 

Son  of  God, 
And  those  who  hear  shall  live. 


S.JOHN  THE  LIFE.  23 

5:26. 

For  as  the  Father  has  life  in  himself, 

So  has  he  given  the   Son  to  have  life  in 

himself, 
And  has  given  him  authority  to  execute 

judgment  also, 
Because  he  is  the  Son  of  man. 

Do  not  wonder  at  this. 

For  the  time  is  coming, 

When  all  who  are  in  the  graves  will  hear 

his  voice. 
And  will  come  out. 

Those  who  have  acted  generously, 
To  the  resurrection  of  life. — 
Those  who  have  acted  wickedly, 
To  the  resurrection  of  judgment. 

I  cannot  do  anything  by  myself. 

As  I  hear  I  judge.     And  my  judgment  is  good. 

For  I  am  not  seeking  my  own  will. 

But  the  will  of  the  Father  who  sent  me. 

If  I  am  bearing  witness  about  myself, 

My  witness  is  not  true. 
There  is  another  witnessing  about  me. 

And  I  know  what  he  is  witnessing  about  me 
is  true. 


24  THE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.         %^2l^ 

You  sent  to  John  and  he  witnessed  to  the  truth. 
But  the  witness  I  am  receiving  is  not  from  man. 
But  I  say  this  so  that  you  might  be  saved.  He 
was  a  burning  and  a  shining  hght  and  you  were 
wilHng  for  a  time  to  rejoice  in  his  hght.  But  the 
witness  I  have  is  greater  than  John's.  For  the 
works  the  Father  has  given  me  to  finish,  the  very 
works  I  am  doing,  are  witnessing  about  me,  that  the 
Father  has  sent  me.  And  the  Father  himself  who 
has  sent  me  has  borne  witness  about  me.  You 
have  neither  heard  his  voice  at  any  time  nor  seen 
his  shape.  And  what  he  told  you  is  not  continuing 
in  you.  For  you  do  not  believe  him  whom  he  has 
sent.  You  search  the  scriptures.  For  in  them  you 
think  you  have  eternal  life.  And  they  are  they 
which  are  witnessing  about  me.  And  yet  you 
will  not  come  to  me  so  that  you  may  have  life. 
I  do  not  receive  honor  from  men.  But  I  know  that 
you  have  not  the  love  of  God  in  you.  I  have 
come  in  my  Father's  name,  and  you  do  not  receive 
me.  If  another  shall  come  in  his  own  name,  you 
will  receive  him.  How  can  you  believe,  who  keep 
receiving  honor  from  each  other  and  do  not  seek 
the  honor  which  comes  from  God  only  ?  Do  not 
think  I  will  accuse .  you  to  the  Father.  Your  ac- 
cuser is  Moses  on  whom  you  have  set  your  hope. 
For  had  you  believed  Moses,  you  would  have  be- 
lieved me.     For  he  wrote  about  me.     But  if  you 


S.JOHN  THE  LIFE.  25 

5:  46. 

do  not  believe   his  writings,  how  shall  you  believe 
my  words?" 


2. 

After  this  Jesus  went  away  to  the  other  side  of 
the  sea  of  Galilee,  that  is,  the  sea  of  Tiberias,  and 
a  great  crowd  followed  him  because  they  were  look- 
ing at  the  signs  he  was  doing  on  those  who  were 
sick. 

Jesus  went  up  into  a  mountain  and  sat  there  with 
his  disciples. 

The  Passover,  a  feast  of  the  Jews,  was  near. 

^' Where  shall  we  buy  bread  so  that  these  may 
eat  ?  "  Jesus  said  to  Philip,  when  he  raised  his  eyes 
and  saw  a  great  crowd  come  to  him. 

He  said  this  to  put  him  to  the  test.  For  he  him- 
self knew  what  he  would  do. 

''Two  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  bread  is  not 
enough  for  them,"  Philip  answered,  ''  so  that  every 
one  of  them  may  take  a  little." 

''There  is  a  lad  here,"  one  of  his  disciples, 
Andrew,  Simon  Peter's  brother  said  to  him.  "  He 
has  five  barley  loaves  and  two  small  fish.  But 
what  are  they  among  so  many?  " 

"  Make  the  people  sit  down." 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  grass  in  the  place.  So 
the  men  sat  down  in  number  about  five  thousand. 


26  THE    WORD   MADE  FLESH.         S.John 

6:  11. 

Then  Jesus  took  the  loaves,  and  when  he  had  given 
thanks,  he  distributed  to  the  disciples,  and  the 
disciples  to  those  who  were  set  down.  And  of  the 
fish,  also,  as  much  as  they  would. 

''Gather  up  the  broken  pieces  which  remain 
over,"  Jesus  said  to  the  disciples,  when  they  were 
filled,  ''so that  nothing  may  be  lost." 

So  they  gathered  them  together  and  filled  twelve 
baskets  with  the  fragments  of  the  five  barley  loaves 
which  remained  over  after  everybody  had  eaten. 

"This  is  certainly  the  Prophet  who  was  to  come 
into  the  world,"  the  people  kept  saying  when  they 
had  seen  the  sign  Jesus  did. 

So  when  Jesus  got  to  know  that  they  were  going 
to  come  and  take  him  by  force  to  make  him  a  king, 
he  went  away  again  into  a  mountain  alone. 

When  evening  had  come  his  disciples  went  down 
to  the  sea,  got  into  a  boat,  and  started  to  go  over 
the  sea  towards  Capernaum.  It  was  dark.  Jesus 
had  not  yet  come  to  them.  The  sea  was  rising  be- 
cause of  a  strong  wind  which  was  blowing.  So 
when  they  had  rowed  three  or  four  miles  they  saw 
Jesus  walking  on  the  sea  and  coming  near  the  boat. 
They  were  frightened. 

"  It  is  I,"  he  said.    "  Do  not  be  afraid." 

So  they  wanted  to  take  him  into  the  boat,  and  at 
once  it  was  at  the  land  to  which  they  were  going. 


S.JOHN  THE  LIFE.  27 

6:  22. 

The  next  day  the  people  who  were  standing  on 
the  other  side  of  the  sea  saw  there  was  no  other 
boat  there  except  the  one  Jesus'  disciples  entered. 
They  saw  Jesus  did  not  go  with  his  disciples  into 
the  boat  but  they  had  gone  away  alone.  Yet  other 
boats  came  from  Tiberias  near  the  place  where 
they  ate  bread  after  the  Lord  had  given  thanks. 
So  when  the  people  saw  Jesus  was  not  there,  nor 
his  disciples,  they  also  got  into  the  boats  and  came 
to  Capernaum  seeking  Jesus. 

''Rabbi,"  they  said  when  they  had  found  him 
on  the  other  side  of  the  sea,  ''  when  did  you  come 
here?" 

''  Most  truly  I  tell  you,"  answered  Jesus.  ^'  You 
keep  seeking  me,  not  because  you  saw  the  signs, 
but  because  you  ate  the  loaves  and  were  filled.  Do 
not  work  for  the  food  which  is  perishing  but  for 
the  food  which  continues  to  eternal  life,  which  the 
Son  of  man  shall  give  you.  For  him  has  God  the 
Father  sealed." 

''  What  must  we  do  so  that  we  may  do  the  works 
of  God?" 

"  This  is  the  work  of  God,  to  believe  in  him  whom 
he  has  sent." 

"  What  sign  do  you  show,  then,  so  that  we  may 
see   and    believe    you  ?     What   do  you  do  ?     Our 
fathers  ate  manna  in  the  desert  as  it  is  written  : 
He  gave  them  bread  from  heaven  to  eat." 


28  THE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S  Joun 

6:  31. 

*'  Most  truly  I  tell  you,  Moses  did  not  give  you 
that  bread  from  heaven.  But  my  Father  is  giving 
you  the  true  bread  from  heaven.  For  the  bread 
which  God  gives  is  that  which  comes  down  from 
heaven  and  gives  life  to  the  world." 

*'  Lord,  always  give  us  this  bread." 

*'  I  am  the  bread  of  life.  He  who  keeps  coming 
to  me  shall  never  hunger,  and  he  who  keeps  be- 
lieving in  me  shall  never  thirst.  But  I  told  you, 
You  have  seen  me  and  do  not  believe.  Every- 
thing the  Father  gives  me  will  come  to  me.  Him 
who  comes  to  me  I  will  in  no  way  cast  out.  For  I 
have  come  down  from  heaven,  not  to  do  my  own 
will,  but  the  will  of  him  who  sent  me.  This  is  the 
will  of  him  who  sent  me,  that  of  everything  he  has 
given  me  I  should  lose  nothing,  but  should  raise  it 
up  at  the  last  day.  For  this  is  the  will  of  my 
Father,  that  every  one  who  keeps  looking  at  the 
Son  and  believing  in  him  should  have  eternal  life, 
and  I  shall  raise  him  up  at  the  last  day." 

The  Jews  complained  about  Jesus  because  he 
said,  ''  I  am  the  bread  which  came  down  from 
heaven." 

''Is  not  this  Jesus  the  Son  of  Joseph,"  they 
said,  "whose  father  and  mother  we  know?  How 
is  it  then  he  says,  I  have  come  down  from 
heaven  ?  ' ' 


SJOHN  THE  LIFE.  29 

b:  43. 

"  Do  not  complain  among  yourselves,"  answered 
Jesus.  ''No  one  can  come  to  me  except  the 
Father  who  has  sent  me  draws  him,  and  I  shall 
raise  him  up  at  the  last  day.  It  is  written  in  the 
Prophets, 

And  they  shall  be  all  taught  by  God. 

Every  one  who  has  heard  and  learned  from  the 
Father  comes  to  me.  Not  that  any  one  has  seen 
the  Father  except  him  who  is  from  God,  he  has 
seen  the  Father.  Most  truly  I  tell  you,  He  who 
believes  in  me  has  eternal  life.  I  am  the  bread  of 
life.  Your  fathers  ate  manna  in  the  wilderness 
and  died.  The  bread  which  is  coming  down  from 
heaven  is  such  that  any  one  may  eat  of  it  and 
never  die.  I  am  the  living  bread  which  came 
down  from  heaven.  If  any  one  eats  of  this  bread 
he  shall  live  forever.  The  bread  I  will  give  is  my 
flesh  which  I  will  give  for  the  life  of  the  world." 

"How  can  this  man  give  us  his  flesh  to  eat?" 
said  the  Jews  as  they  began  to  dispute  with  each 
other. 

"  Most  truly  I  tell  you,"  Jesus  therefore  said, 
"  Except  you  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  man  and 
drink  his  blood  you  have  no  life  in  you.  He  who 
eats  my  flesh  and  drinks  my  blood  has  eternal  life 
and  I  will  raise  him  up  at  the  last  day.  For  my 
flesh  is  food  indeed  and  my  blood  is  drink  indeed. 


30  THE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S  John 

6:56. 

He  who  keeps  eating  my  flesh  and  drinking  my 
blood  dwells  in  me  and  I  in  him.  As  the  living 
Father  has  sent  me  and  I  live  by  the  Father,  so  he 
who  keeps  eating  me  shall  live  by  me.  This  is 
that  bread  which  came  down  from  heaven.  Not 
as  your  fathers  ate  manna  and  died.  He  who 
keeps  eating  this  bread  shall  live  forever." 

Jesus  said  this  in  the  synagogue  as  he  was 
teaching  in  Capernaum. 

''  This  is  a  hard  saying,"  many  of  his  disciples 
said  when  they  heard  this.  ''Who  can  hear 
it?" 

''Does  this  offend  you?"  said  Jesus.  For 
he  knew  in  himself  his  disciples  were  complain- 
ing at  this.  "  What,  then,  if  you  should  look  at 
the  Son  of  man  ascending  where  he  was  before  ? 
It  is  the  Spirit  who  gives  life.  The  flesh  is  of  no 
avail.  The  words  I  have  spoken  to  you  are  spirit 
and  are  life.  But  there  are  some  of  you  who  do 
not  believe."  For  Jesus  knew  from  the  beginning 
who  did  not  believe  and  who  should  betray  himT 
So  he  said :  "  For  this  reason  I  said  to  you,  No 
one  can  come  to  me,  except  it  has  been  given  to 
him  from  the  Father." 

From  this  time  many  of  Jesus'  disciples  went 
back  and  did  not  go  about  with  him  any  longer. 

" Surely  you,  too,  do  not  want  to  go  away?  "  he 
then  said  to  the  twelve. 


S.JOHN  THE  LIFE.  31 

6:  68. 

''Lord,"  Simon  Peter  answered,  ''to  whom 
shall  we  go  ?  You  have  the  words  of  eternal  life, 
and  we  have  believed  and  know  you  are  the  Holy 
One  of  God." 

"  Have  not  I  chosen  you  twelve  ?  And  one  of 
you  is  a  devil." 

He  spoke  of  Judah  Iscariot,  the  son  of  Simon. 
For  he  was  the  one  of  the  twelve  who  was  going  to 
betray  him. 


After  this  Jesus  kept  going  about  Galilee.  For 
he  did  not  want  to  go  about  Judaea,  because  the 
Jews  kept  trying  to  kill  him. 

The  Jews'  feast  of  Tabernacles  was  near. 

"Go  away  from  here,"  his  brothers  said  to  him, 
"  and  go  into  Jud?ea,  so  that  your  disciples  also 
may  see  the  works  you  are  doing.  For  no  one 
does  anything  in  secret  when  he  is  seeking  to  be 
known  openly.  If  you  are  doing  these  things 
show  yourself  to  the  world."  For  not  even  his 
brothers  believed  in  him. 

"  My  time  has  not  yet  come,"  Jesus  answered, 
"  but  your  time  is  always  ready.  The  world  can- 
not hate  you,  but  it  hates  me  because  I  keep  wit- 
nessing about  it  that  its  deeds  are  evil.  You  go  up 
to  the  feast.  I  am  not  going  up  yet  to  this  feast, 
for  my  time  has  not  yet  fully  come." 


32  THE   WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S.John 

7;  9. 

So  when  he  had  said  this  to  them  he  continued 
still  in  Galilee.  But  when  his  brothers  had  gone 
up  to  the  feast,  then  he  also  went  up,  not  openly, 
but  as  it  were  in  secret.  So  the  Jews  kept  looking 
for  him  at  the  feast. 

<'  Where  is  he  ?  "  they  said. 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  discussion  among  the 
people  about  him. 

''  He  is  a  good  man,"  some  said. 

''No,"  said  others,  ''he  is  leading  the  people 
astray. ' ' 

And  yet  no  one  spoke  openly  about  him  for  fear 
of  the  Jews. 


About  the  middle  of  the  feast  Jesus  went  up  to 
the  Temple  and  was  teaching. 

"  How  does  this  man  know  letters  when  he  has 
never  learned?"  said  the  Jews  as  they  kept  won- 
dering at  him. 

"My  teaching  is  not  mine,"  Jesus  answered, 
"  but  his  who  sent  me.  If  any  one  wants  to  do 
his  will  he  will  learn  to  know  about  the  teaching 
whether  it  is  from  God  or  whether  I  am  talking  on 
my  own  authority.  He  who  talks  on  his  own  au- 
thority is  seeking  his  own  honor.  But  he  who  is 
seeking  the  honor  of  him  who  sent  him  is  true  and 
no  evil  is  in  him.     Did   not  Moses  give  you  the 


S.JOHN  THE  LIFE.  33 

7:  19. 

Law?     And  yet  not  one   of    you    is  keeping   it. 
Why  are  you  trying  to  kill  me  ?  " 

''You  are  possessed  by  a  demon.  Who  is  try- 
ing to  kill  you  ?" 

''  I  have  done  one  work  and  you  are  all  wonder- 
ing. For  this  reason  Moses  has  given  you  circum- 
cision, not  because  it  is  from  Moses  but  from  the 
Fathers,  and  on  the  Sabbath  you  circumcise  a 
man.  If  on  the  Sabbath  a  man  receives  circum- 
cision so  that  the  law  of  Moses  should  not  be 
broken,  are  you  angry  at  me  because  I  have  com- 
pletely cured  a  man  on  the  Sabbath  ?  Do  not 
judge  according  to  appearance.     Judge  truly." 

''  Is  not  this  he  whom  they  are  trying  to  kill  ?  " 
said  some  of  those  of  Jerusalem.  *'  But  he  is  talk- 
ing boldly  and  they  say  nothing  to  him.  Surely 
the  rulers  have  not  got  to  know  that  this  is  the 
Christ  ?  Yet  we  know  where  this  man  comes 
from.  But  when  the  Christ  comes  no  one  knows 
where  he  comes  from." 

"  You  both  know  me,"  cried  Jesus  in  the  Tem- 
ple as  he  was  teaching,  ''and  you  know  where  I 
am  from.  I  have  not  come  on  my  own  authority. 
But  he  who  sent  me  is  true  and  you  do  not  know 
him.  But  I  know  him.  For  I  am  from  him  and 
he  has  sent  me." 

So  they  kept  trying  to  arrest  him.     But  no  one 


34  THE    WORD  3IADE  FLESH.         S.John 

7:  30. 

laid  hands  on  him  because  his  time  had  not  yet 
come, 

**  When  the  Christ  comes,"  said  many  of  the 
people  who  believed  in  Jesus,  ''  will  he  do  more 
signs  than  this  man  has  done  ?  ' ' 

The  Pharisees  heard  the  people  were  murmuring 
such  things  about  Jesus,  so  they  and  the  Chief 
Priests  sent  officers  to  take  him. 

''I  am  still  with  you  a  little  while,"  said  Jesus, 
*'  and  then  I  am  going  to  him  who  sent  me.  You 
will  seek  me  but  will  not  find  me,  and  where  I  am 
you  cannot  come." 

''  Where  will  he  go  that  we  shall  not  find  him  ?  " 
said  the  Jews  to  each  other.  *'  Will  he  go  to  the 
dispersed  among  the  Greeks  and  teach  the  Greeks  ? 
What  kind  of  a  saying  is  this  he  said,  You  will 
seek  me  but  will  not  find  me.  And  where  I  am 
you  cannot  come." 

**  If  any  one  is  thirsty,"  Jesus  was  standing  and 
crying  in  the  last  day,  the  great  day  of  the  feast, 
"let  him  come  to  me  and  drink.  He  who  keeps 
believing  in  me,  as  the  Scripture  has  said,  rivers 
of  living  water  shall  flow  from  him."  But  he 
said  this  about  the  Spirit  whom  they  who  believed 
in  him  were  to  receive.  For  the  Spirit  was  not  yet 
given  because  Jesus  was  not  yet  glorified. 

**  Surely  this  is  the  Prophet,"  some  of  the  peo- 
ple said  when  they  heard  this. 


S.JOHN  THE  LIGHT.  35 

7:  41. 

''This  is  the  Christ,"  said  others. 

"What?"  still  others  said.  ''Does  the  Christ 
come  out  of  Galilee  ?  Has  not  the  Scripture  said 
the  Christ  comes  from  the  seed  of  David,  and  out 
of  the  town  of  Bethlehem  where  David  was  ?  ' ' 

So  there  was  a  division  among  the  people  because 
of  him,  and  some  of  them  wanted  to  arrest  him. 
But  no  one  laid  hands  on  him. 

So  the  officers  came  to  the  Chief  Priests  and 
Pharisees. 

"  Why  have  you  not  brought  him  ?  "  they  asked. 

"No  one  has  ever  yet  spoken  like  this  man," 
they  said. 

"What !  have  you  also  been  led  astray?  Surely 
none  of  the  rulers  or  Pharisees  have  believed  in 
him  ?  But  this  throng  which  does  not  get  to  know 
the  law  is  cursed." 

"  Our  law  does  not  judge  the  man  before  it  hears 
from  him  and  gets  to  know  what  he  is  doing,  does 
it?"  said  Nicodemus. 

For  he  who  once  came  to  Jesus  by  night  was  one 
of  them. 

"  Are  you  also  of  Galilee?  Search  and  see  that 
out  of  Galilee  rises  no  Prophet." 

"  I  am  the  light  of  the  world,"  said  Jesus  again 
to  them.  "  He  who  keeps  following  me  shall  not  go 
about  in  darkness  but  shall  have  the  light  of  life." 


36  THE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S.John 

8:  13. 

"  You  are  bearing  witness  about  yourself,"  said 
the  Pharisees.      *'  Your  witness  is  not  true." 

"  Though  I  am  bearing  witness  about  myself,  my 
witness  is  true.  For  I  know  where  I  came  from 
and  where  I  am  going.  But  you  cannot  tell  where 
I  came  from  and  where  I  am  going.  You  are 
judging  by  appearances.  I  am  not  judging  any 
one.  Yet  if  I  judge  my  judgment  is  true.  For  I 
am  not  alone,  but  I  and  the  Father  who  sent  me. 
It  is  also  written  in  your  law  that  the  witness  of 
two  men  is  true.  I  am  my  own  witness  and  the 
Father  who  sent  me  is  bearing  witness  about  me." 

'*  Where  is  your  father?  " 

'*  You  neither  know  me  nor  my  Father.  If  you 
knew  me  you  would  know  my  Father  also." 

Jesus  said  this  in  the  Treasury  as  he  was  teaching 
in  the  Temple.  No  one  laid  hands  on  him,  for  his 
time  had  not  yet  come. 

"  Will  he  kill  himself?  "  said  the  Jews.  "  For  he 
says,  where  I  am  going  you  cannot  come." 

''You  are  from  beneath,"  said  Jesus.  "lam 
from  above.  You  are  of  this  world.  I  am  not 
of  this  world.  So  I  said  :  You  will  die  in  your 
sins.  For  if  you  do  not  believe  I  am  he  you  will 
die  in  your  sins." 

"Who  are  you?" 

"  Why  do  you  ask  the  very  thing  I  have  been 
talking    about   to   you    all    along  ?     I  have  many 


S.JOHN  THE   TRUTH.  37 

8:  26. 

things  to  say  about  you  and  to  judge.  But  he  who 
sent  me  is  true  and  I  am  telling  the  world  what  I 
have  heard  from  him." 

They  did  not  understand  that  he  was  speaking  to 
them  about  the  Father. 

''When  you  have  lifted  up  the  Son  of  man," 
Jesus  therefore  said  to  them,  ''then  you  will  know 
I  am  he  and  that  I  am  doing  nothing  on  my  own 
authority,  but  as  my  Father  has  taught  me  I  am 
saying  this.  He  who  sent  me  is  with  me.  The 
Father  has  not  left  me  alone,  for  I  always  do  what 
pleases  him," 

As  he  was  saying  this  many  believed  in  him. 

"If  you  continue  to  do  what  I  tell  you,"  said 
Jesus  to  those  Jews  who  believed  in  him,  "then 
you  are  my  disciples  indeed,  and  you  will  get  to 
know  the  truth  and  the  truth  will  make  you 
free." 

"We  are  Abraham's  descendents  and  were 
never  in  bondage  to  any  one.  How  do  you  say : 
You  will  be  made  free  ?  ' ' 

"Most  truly  I  tell  you,  Whoever  keeps  commit- 
ting sin  is  the  slave  of  sin.  The  slave  does  not  re- 
main in  the  house  forever,  but  the  son  always  re- 
mains. So  if  the  Son  shall  make  you  free,  you 
will  be  free  indeed.  I  know  you  are  Abraham's 
descendants.  But  you  are  trying  to  kill  me  be- 
cause what  I  tell  you  has  no  place  in  you.      I  am 


38  THE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S  John 

8 ;  38. 

talking  about  what  I  have  seen  with  my  Father,  and 
you  keep  doing  what  you  have  seen  with  your 
father. ' ' 

''  Abraham  is  our  father." 

'^  If  you  were  Abraham's  children  you  would  keep 
doing  what  Abraham  used  to  do.  But  now  you  are 
trying  to  kill  me  a  man  who  has  told  you  the  truth 
which  I  have  heard  from  God.  Abraham  did  not 
use  to  do  this.  You  keep  doing  the  deeds  of  your 
father." 

*'We  are  not  bastards.  We  have  one  father, 
that  is,  God." 

**If  God  were  your  father  you  would  love  me. 
For  I  came  out  of  God  and  am  here.  Nor  have 
I  come  on  my  own  authority.  He  sent  me.  Why 
do  you  not  understand  what  I  say  ?  Because  you 
cannot  bear  to  listen  to  me.  You  are  of  your 
father  the  devil,  and  you  are  determined  to  do 
what  your  father  desires.  He  was  a  murderer 
from  the  beginning.  He  did  not  continue  in  the 
truth  because  there  is  no  truth  in  him.  When  he 
tells  a  lie  he  is  talking  about  his  own.  For  he  is  a 
liar  and  the  har's  father.  But  because  I  tell  you 
the  truth  you  do  not  believe  me.  Which  of  you 
convicts  me  of  sin  ?  And  if  I  say  the  truth  why 
do  you  not  believe  me  ?  He  who  is  from  God 
hears  God's  words.  You  do  not  hear  them  because 
you  are  not  from  God," 


S.JOHN  THE  TRUTH.  39 

8:48. 

*'  Are  we  not  right  in  saying  you  are  a  Samaritan 
and  possessed  by  a  demon?" 

"I  am  not  possessed  by  a  demon,  I  am  honor- 
ing my  Father  and  you  are  dishonoring  me.  I  am 
not  seeking  my  own  honor.  There  is  one  who  is 
seeking  and  judging.  Most  truly  I  tell  you,  Who- 
ever keeps  my  saying  shall  never  see  death  for- 
ever." 

''  Now  we  know  you  are  possessed  by  a  demon. 
Abraham  is  dead  and  the  Prophets.  And  you  say, 
If  any  one  keeps  my  saying  he  shall  never  see 
death  forever.  Surely  you  are  not  greater  than 
our  father  Abraham  who  died  ?  And  the  Prophets 
died.     Whom  are  you  making  yourself?" 

*'If  I  am  honoring  myself  my  honor  is  nothing. 
It  is  my  Father  who  is  honoring  me,  he  of  whom 
you  are  saying,  he  is  your  God.  Yet  you  never 
became  acquainted  with  him.  But  I  know  him. 
And  if  I  should  say  I  do  not  know  him  I  shall  be 
a  liar  like  you.  But  I  know  him  and  keep  his 
word.  Your  father  Abraham  rejoiced  to  see  my 
day,  and  he  saw  it  and  was  glad." 

''  You  are  not  yet  fifty  years  old,  and  have  you 
seen  Abraham?  " 

'*  Most  truly  I  tell  you,  Before  Abraham  was  I 
am." 

They  took  up  stones  to  throw  at  him.  But 
Jesus  hid  himself,  and  went  out  of  the  Temple, 


40  THE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S.John 

4- 

As  Jesus  was  passing  by  he  saw  a  man  blind 
from  his  birth. 

"Rabbi,"  his  disciples  asked,  ''who  was  the 
sinner,  this  man  or  his  parents  so  that  he  was  born 
blind?" 

"Neither  did  this  man  sin,  nor  his  parents.  On 
the  contrary,  this  has  happened  so  that  what  God 
is  doing  might  be  made  known  in  him.  We  must 
do  while  it  is  day  what  he  who  sent  me  is  doing. 
The  night  is  coming  when  no  one  can  work.  As 
long  as  I  am  in  the  world  I  am  the  light  of  the  world." 

When  he  had  spoken  in  this  way  he  spat  on  the 
ground,  made  clay  of  the  spittle,  anointed  the  eyes 
of  the  blind  man  with  the  clay,  and  said : 

"  Go  wash  in  the  pool  of  Siloam,"  which  means, 
Sent. 

So  he  went  away,  washed,  and  came  seeing. 

"  Is  not  this  he  who  used  to  sit  and  beg  ?  "  said 
the  neighbors  and  tho^e  who  before  had  seen  he 
was  blind. 

"  This  is  he,"  said  some. 

"  No,  but  he  is  like  him,"  said  others. 

"  I  am  he,"  the  man  himself  said. 

"  How  were  your  eyes  opened  ?  "  they  therefore 
asked  him. 

"A  man  called  Jesus  made  clay,  anointed  my 
eyes,  and  said  to  me  :  Go  to  the  pool  of  Siloam 
and  wash.      So  I  went,  washed,  and  received  sight." 


S.John"  THE  TRUTH.  41 

9:  12. 

''Where  is  he?" 

"  I  do  not  know." 

They  brought  the  man  who  had  been  blind  to 
the  Pharisees.  It  was  the  Sabbath  when  Jesus 
made  the  clay  and  opened  his  eyes.  So  they  also 
again  asked  him  how  he  had  received  his  sight. 

''  He  put  clay  on  my  eyes  and  I  washed  and  now 
see." 

<*This  man  is  not  from  God,"  said  some  of  the 
Pharisees,  "  because  he  does  not  keep  the  Sabbath." 

<'  How  can  a  man  who  is  a  sinner  do  such  signs  ?  " 
said  others. 

There  was  a  division  among  them. 

"What  do  you  say  about  him  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  he  opened  your  eyes?  "  they  again  said  to 
the  bHnd  man. 

''He  is  a  Prophet." 

But  the  Jews  did  not  believe  he  had  been  blind 
and  received  his  sight  till  they  called  his  parents. 

"  Is  this  your  son  who  you  say  was  born  blind  ?  " 
they  asked.     "  How  then  does  he  now  see  ?  " 

"  We  know  this  is  our  son  and  that  he  was  born 
blind.  But  by  what  means  he  now  sees  we  do  not 
know,  or  who  has  opened  his  eyes  we  do  not  know. 
He  is  of  age.  Ask  him.  He  shall  speak  for  him- 
self." 

His  parents  said  this  because  they  were  afraid  of 
the  Jews.     For  they  had  already  agreed  that  if  any 


42  THE    WORD   MADE  FLESH.         ^  .John 

9:  22, 

one  should  acknowledge  him  as  the  Christ  he 
should  be  excommunicated.  So  his  parents  said  : 
"  He  is  of  age.     Ask  him," 

Then  they  again  called  the  man  who  had  been 
blind. 

*'  Give  God  the  praise,"  they  said.  ''  We  know 
this  man  is  a  sinner." 

''  Whether  he  is  a  sinner  or  not,  I  do  not  know. 
One  thing  I  do  know,  that  I  was  blind  and  now  I 
see. ' ' 

''  What  did  he  do  to  you?  How  did  he  open 
your  eyes  ?  ' ' 

"  I  have  told  you  already  and  you  did  not  listen. 
Why  do  you  want  to  hear  it  again  ?  Surely  you 
also  do  not  want  to  be  his  disciples  ?  ' ' 

^'  You  are  his  disciple,"  they  revilingly  retorted. 
"  But  we  are  Moses'  disciples.  We  know  God 
spoke  to  Moses.  But  as  for  this  fellow,  we  do  not 
know  where  he  comes  from." 

''  Why,  it  is  a  strange  thing  that  you  do  not  know 
where  he  comes  from,  and  yet  he  has  opened  my 
eyes.  Now  we  know  God  does  not  listen  to  sin- 
ners. But  if  any  one  is  a  worshipper  of  God  and 
does  his  will,  he  listens  to  him.  Since  the  world 
began  it  has  not  been  heard  that  any  one  opened 
the  eyes  of  one  born  blind.  If  this  man  had  not 
been  from  God  he  could  do  nothing." 


S.  John  LOVE.  43 

9:  34. 

''  You  were  altogether  born  in  sins,  and  do  you 
teach  us  ?  " 

They  excommunicated  him. 

Jesus  heard  they  had  excommunicated  him.  So 
when  he  had  found  him,  he  said  : 

''  Do  you  believe  in  the  Son  of  God  ?  " 

^'  Who  is  he,  Lord,  so  that  I  may  believe  in  him  ?  " 

' '  You  have  both  seen  him  and  he  it  is  who  is 
talking  with  you." 

''Lord,  I  believe." 

''For  judgment  did  I  come  into  this  world," 
Jesus  said,  "  so  that  they  who  do  not  see  might  see, 
and  so  that  they  who  see,  might  be  made  blind." 

Some  of  the  Pharisees  who  were  with  Jesus  heard 
this. 

"  Are  we  blind  also  ?  "  they  said. 

"  If  you  were  blind  you  would  have  no  sin.  But 
now  you  say  :     We  see.     So  your  sin  continues. ' ' 

5- 

"Most  truly  I  tell  you.  He  who  does  not  go  in 
by  the  door  into  the  sheepfold,  but  climbs  up  some 
other  way,  is  a  thief  and  a  robber.  But  he  who 
goes  in  by  the  door  is  the  shepherd  of  the  sheep. 
For  him  the  porter  opens,  and  the  sheep  listen  to 
his  voice.  And  he  calls  his  own  sheep  by  name 
and  leads  them  out.  And  when  he  has  let  out  all 
his  own,  he  goes  before  them,  and  the  sheep  follow 


44  THE    WORD  3IADE  FLESH,         S.John 

10:4. 

him.  For  they  know  his  voice.  But  they  will  not 
follow  a  stranger  but  will  flee  from  him.  For  they 
do  not  know  the  stranger's  voice." 

Jesus  gave  them  this  illustration,  but  they  did  not 
understand  what  he  said.     So  he  said  to  them  again : 

''Most  truly  I  tell  you,  I  am  the  door  of  the 
sheep.  All  who  ever  came  before  me  are  thieves 
and  robbers.  But  the  sheep  did  not  listen  to  them. 
I  am  the  door.  If  any  one  goes  in  by  me  he  shall 
be  saved,  and  shall  go  in  and  out  and  find  pasture. 
The  thief  only  comes  to  steal  and  to  kill  and  to 
destroy.  I  came  so  that  they  may  have  life  and 
may  have  an  abundance  of  it.  I  am  the  Good 
Shepherd.  The  Good  Shepherd  gives  his  life  for 
the  sheep.  But  he  who  is  a  hireling  and  not  the 
shepherd,  whose  own  the  sheep  are  not,  sees  the 
wolf  coming,  leaves  the  sheep,  and  flees.  So  the 
wolf  catches  them  and  scatters  the  sheep.  The 
hireling  flees  because  he  is  a  hireling  and  does  not 
care  for  the  sheep.  1  am  the  Good  Shepherd.  I 
become  acquainted  with  my  sheep  and  my  sheep 
become  acquainted  with  me  just  as  the  Father  be- 
comes acquainted  with  me  and  I  become  acquainted 
with  the  Father,  and  I  am  laying  down  my  life  for 
the  sheep.  I  have  other  sheep  which  are  not  of 
this  fold.  Them  also  must  I  bring  and  they  shall 
hear  my  voice.  So  they  shall  become  one  flock 
under   one   shepherd.     It   is   for   this   reason  my 


S.John  LOVE.  45 

10:  17. 

Father  loves  me,  because  I  am  laying  down  my  life 
so  that  I  may  take  it  again.  No  one  is  taking  it 
from  me.  I  am  laying  it  down  of  myself.  I  have 
authority  to  lay  it  down  and  I  have  authority  to 
take  it  again.  I  have  received  this  commandment 
from  my  Father." 

There  was  a  division  again  among  the  Jews  be- 
cause of  these  words. 

"He  is  possessed  by  a  demon  and  is  mad," 
said  many  of  them.     ''  Why  do  you  listen  to  him  ?  ' ' 

"These  are  not  the  words  of  one  possessed," 
said  others.  "  Can  a  demon  open  the  eyes  of  the 
blind?" 

It  was  the  feast  of  the  Dedication  at  Jerusalem. 
It  was  winter.  Jesus  was  walking  in  Solomon's 
Porch  in  the  Temple.     The  Jews  came  round  him  : 

"How  long  do  you  make  us  doubt?"  they 
said.     "  If  you  are  the  Christ  tell  us  plainly." 

"  I  told  you  and  you  do  not  believe.  What  I 
am  doing  in  my  Father's  name  bears  witness  about 
me.  But  you  do  not  believe  me  because  you  are 
not  of  my  sheep  as  I  told  you.  My  sheep  are 
listening  to  my  voice,  and  I  am  getting  to  know 
them  and  they  are  following  me.  I  am  giving  them 
eternal  life  and  they  shall  never  perish.  Nor  shall 
any  one  snatch  them  out  of  my  hand.  My  Father 
who  gave  them  to  me  is  greater  than  all.     And  no 


46  THE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S.John 

10:29. 

one  is  able  to  snatch  them  out  of  my  Father's  hand. 
I  and  my  Father  are  one." 

The  Jews  took  up  stones  again  to  stone  him. 

''  Many  noble  deeds  have  I  shown  you  from  the 
Father.  For  which  of  those  deeds  are  you  be- 
ginning to  stone  me  ?  " 

**  We  are  not  stoning  you  for  a  noble  deed,  but 
for  blasphemy.  And  because  you,  a  man,  are  mak- 
ing yourself  God. ' ' 

**  Is  it  not  written  in  your  law  I  said : 
You  are  Gods  ? 

If  he  called  them  Gods  to  whom  God's  message 
came,  and  the  Scripture  cannot  be  broken,  do  you 
say  about  him  whom  the  Father  has  made  pure  and 
sent  into  the  world  :  You  are  blaspheming  because 
I  said,  I  am  the  Son  of  God?  If  I  do  not  do  the 
deeds  of  my  Father,  do  not  believe  me.  But  if  1 
do,  though  you  do  not  believe  me,  beheve  the 
deeds  so  that  you  may  learn  and  keep  learning 
that  the  Father  is  in  me  and  I  in  him." 

They  tried  again  to  take  him,  but  he  escaped  out 
of  their  hands  and  went  away  again  beyond  Jordan 
to  the  place  where  John  at  first  was  purifying.  He 
staid  there. 

"  John  did  not  do  any  sign,"  those  who  went  to 
him  used  to  say.  ''  But  everything  John  said 
about  this  man  was  true." 

Many  believed  in  him  there. 


SyToHN        LIFE,  LIGHT,  TRUTH,  LOVE.  47 


6. 

There  was  a  man  of  Bethany  the  town  of  Mary 
and  Martha.  His  name  was  Lazarus.  He  was 
sick.  It  was  that  Mary  who  anointed  the  Lord 
with  ointment  and  wiped  his  feet  with  her  hair 
whose  brother  Lazarus  was  sick. 

''  Lord,"  his  sisters  sent  and  said  to  Jesus,  ''he 
whom  you  love  is  sick." 

''  This  sickness  is  not  one  which  ends  in  death," 
said  Jesus  when  he  heard  this.  "  On  the  con- 
trary it  is  for  the  honor  of  God,  so  that  the  Son  of 
God  may  be  honored  by  it." 

Now  Jesus  loved  Martha  and  her  sister  and 
Lazarus.  So  when  he  heard  he  was  sick  he  staid 
two  days  still  in  the  place  where  he  was. 

''  Let  us  go  into  Judaea  again,"  he  afterwards 
said  to  his  disciples. 

''  Rabbi,"  said  his  disciples,  ''the  Jews  were 
but  now  trying  to  stone  you,  and  are  you  going 
there  again?" 

"  Are  there  not  twelve  hours  in  the  day  ? 

If  any  one  walks   about  in  the  day  he  does 
not  stumble, 
Because  he  sees  the  light  of  this  world. 
But  if  any  one  walks  about  in  the  night  he 
stumbles 
Because  he  has  no  light." 


48  THE    WORD   MADE  FLESH.         \^p^^ 

"  Our  friend  Lazarus  has  fallen  asleep,"  Jesus 
added  after  he  said  this.  ''  But  I  am  going  to 
wake  him  out  of  sleep." 

**  Lord,"  said  his  disciples,  ''if  he  has  fallen 
asleep  he  will  recover." 

Jesus  had  spoken  of  his  death.  But  they  thought 
he  had  spoken  of  taking  rest  in  sleep. 

''Lazarus  is  dead,"  he  then  told  them  plainly, 
*'  and  I  am  glad  for  your  sakes  I  was  not  there  so 
you  may  believe.     And  yet  let  us  go  to  him." 

"  Let  us  also  go  so  that  we  may  die  with  him," 
said  Thomas  called  Didymus  to  the  rest  of  the  dis- 
ciples. 

When  Jesus  came  he  found  Lazarus  had  been 
in  the  tomb  four  days  already. 

Bethany  is  only  about  two  miles  from  Jerusalem. 
So  many  of  the  Jews  had  come  to  Martha  and 
Mary  to  comfort  them  about  their  brother.  So 
as  soon  as  she  heard  Jesus  was  coming  Martha 
went  and  met  him,  but  Mary  kept  sitting  in  the 
house. 

"Lord,"  said  Martha,  "if  you  had  been  here 
my  brother  would  not  have  died.  But  I  know  that 
even  now  whatever  you  shall  ask  of  God  he  will 
give  you." 

"  Your  brother  shall  rise  again." 

"  I  know  he  will  rise  again  in  the  resurrection  at 
the  last  day." 


S.JOHN        LIFE,  LIGHT,   TRUTH,  LOVE.  49 

11 :  20.  '  ' 

"  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  Hfe,"  said 
Jesus.  ''He  who  keeps  believing  in  me,  though 
he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live.  And  whoever 
keeps  living,  that  is,  keeps  believing  in  me  shall 
never  die.     Do  you  believe  this?  " 

^'  Yes,  Lord,  I  have  learnt  to  believe  that  you 
are  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  who  was  to  come 
into  the  world." 

When  she  had  said  this  she  went  away  and 
called  Mary  her  sister  secretly. 

''Teacher  is  here  and  is  calling  you,"  she  said. 

As  soon  as  she  heard  that,  Mary  rose  up  quickly 
and  came  to  Jesus.  Jesus  had  not  yet  come  into 
the  town  but  was  in  the  place  where  Martha  met 
him.  Then  the  Jews  in  the  house  with  her  com- 
forting her  followed  her.  For  they  saw  Mary  rise 
up  quickly  and  go  out. 

"She  is  going  to  the  tomb  to  cry  there,"  they 
said. 

When  Mary  came  where  Jesus  was  and  saw  him 
she  fell  at  his  feet. 

"Lord,"  she  said,  "if  you  had  been  here  my 
brother  would  not  have  died." 

So  when  Jesus  saw  her  crying  and  the  Jews  also 
who  came  with  her  crying,  he  groaned  in  the 
spirit  and  was  troubled. 

"  Where  have  you  laid  him  ?  "  he  asked. 


50  THE    WORD  3IADE  FLESH.         S^John 

11:  d4. 

"Lord,  come  and  see." 

Jesus  wept. 

*'  See  how  he  loved  him,"  said  the  Jews  at  this. 

**  Could  not  this  man  who  opened  the  eyes  of 
the  blind,  have  caused  that  even  this  man  should 
not  have  died  ?  ' '  said  some  of  them. 

So  Jesus  again  groaning  in  himself  came  to  the 
tomb.     It  was  a  cave,  and  a  stone  was  lying  on  it. 

''Take  the  stone  away,"  he  said. 

''  Lord,"  said  Martha  the  sister  of  him  who  was 
dead,  "by  this  time  he  is  stinking.  For  he  has 
been  dead  four  days. ' ' 

"Did  I  not  tell  you  if  you  would  believe  you 
should  see  the  majesty  of  God?  " 

So  they  took  the  stone  away  from  the  place 
where  the  dead  was  laid,  and  Jesus  lifted  up  his 
eyes. 

"Father,"  he  said,  "I  thank  thee  that  thou 
hast  heard  me,  but  I  know  thou  hearest  me 
always.  But  because  of  the  people  standing  by  I 
said  it  so  that  they  may  believe  that  thou  hast 
sent  me." 

"Lazarus,  come  out!"  he  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  when  he  had  said  this. 

So  he  who  was  dead  came  out  bound  hand  and 
foot  with  grave  cloths.  His  face  was  bound  about 
with  a  napkin. 

"  Undo  him  and  let  him  go,"  Jesus  added. 


S.John        LIFE,  LIGHT,   TRUTH,  LOVE.  51 

11 :  44. 

So  many  of  the  Jews  who  came  to  Mary  and 
saw  what  Jesus  did,  beHeved  in  him.  But  some  of 
them  went  away  to  the  Pharisees  and  told  them 
what  he  had  done.  So  the  Chief  Priests  and  the 
Pharisees  gathered  a  council. 

''What  are  we  doing?"  they  said.  "  For  this 
man  is  doing  many  signs.  If  we  let  him  alone  in 
this  way  everybody  will  believe  in  him,  and  the 
Romans  will  come  and  take  away  both  our  place 
and  nation." 

*'  You  do  not  know  anything  at  all,"  said  one  of 
them  named  Caiaphas,  the  High  Priest  that  year, 
"  nor  do  you  consider  that  it  is  expedient  for  us 
that  one  man  should  die  for  the  people  instead  of 
the  whole  nation  being  destroyed." 

He  did  not  say  this  of  his  own  accord,  but  being 
High  Priest  that  year  he  prophesied  that  Jesus 
should  die  for  the  nation,  and  not  for  that  nation 
only,  but  so  that  he  might  also  gather  together  in 
one  the  children  of  God  scattered  abroad. 

From  that  day  they  plotted  to  put  Jesus  to  death. 
So  Jesus  no  longer  kept  going  about  openly  among 
the  Jews,  but  went  from  that  place  to  the  country 
near  the  wilderness  into  a  city  called  Ephraim  and 
staid  there  with  his  disciples. 


THE   WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S.  .Tohn 

11:  v>y^. 


7. 

The  Jews'  Passover  was  near.  So  many  went 
out  of  the  country  up  to  Jerusalem  before  the  Pass- 
over to  purify  themselves.  So  they  kept  looking 
for  Jesus  and  saying  to  each  other  as  they  were 
standing  in  the  Temple  : 

''What  do  you  think?  that  he  will  not  come 
to  the  feast?" 

The  Chief  Priests  and  the  Pharisees  had  given 
orders  that  if  any  one  learned  where  he  was  he 
should  show  it  so  that  they  might  arrest  him. 

So  six  days  before  the  Passover  Jesus  came  to 
Bethany  where  Lazarus  was  who  had  been  dead 
whom  he  raised  from  the  dead.  They  made  him 
a  supper  there.  Martha  was  serving.  But  Lazarus 
was  one  of  those  sitting  at  table  with  him.  So 
Mary  took  a  pound  of  ointment  of  spikenard,  very 
costly,  anointed  the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  wiped  them 
with  her  hair.  The  house  was  filled  with  the  odor 
of  the  ointment. 

''  Why  was  not  this  ointment  sold  for  three  hun- 
dred dollars  and  given  to  the  poor?  "  said  Judah 
Iscariot  one  of  his  disciples  who  was  going  to 
betray  him. 

''  Let  her  alone,"  said  Jesus.  For  Judah  did  not 
say  this  because  he  cared  for  the  poor,  but  because 
he  was  a  thief  and  had  the  bag  and  carried  what 


S.^JoHN        LIFE,  LIGHT,  TRUTH,  LOVE.  53 

was  put  in  it.  *'  Let  her  alone  so  that  she  may  keep 
it  for  the  day  of  my  burial .  You  always  have  the 
poor  with  you,  but  you  will  not  always  have  me." 

So  the  great  body  of  the  Jews  got  to  know  Jesus 
was  there  and  they  did  not  come  for  Jesus'  sake 
only,  but  so  that  they  might  see  Lazarus  also  whom 
he  had  raised  from  the  dead.  But  the  Chief  Priests 
plotted  to  put  Lazarus  also  to  death.  For  because 
of  him  many  of  the  Jews  went  away  and  believed 
in  Jesus. 

The  next  day  a  great  crowd  which  had  come  to 
the  feast  heard  that  Jesus  was  coming  to  Jerusalem 
and  took  branches  of  palm  trees  and  went  out 
to  meet  him. 

They  cried : 
Hozanna  ! 

Blessed  is  the   King  of  Israel  who  is  coming  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord. 

When  Jesus  had  found  an  ass  he  sat  on  it,  as  it 
is  written : 

**  Fear  not  daughter  of  Zion  ! 
Behold  thy  King  coming, 
Sitting  on  an  ass's  colt," 

His  disciples  did  not  understand  these  things  i 
first,  but   when   Jesus  was  glorified  then   they  re- 
membered they  were  written  about  him  and  they 
had  done  them  to  him.     So  the  people  with  him 
when  he  called  Lazarus  out  of  the  tomb  and  raised 


54  THE   WORD  3IADE  FLESH.         S.John 

12:  17. 

him  from  the  dead,  bore  witness.  For  this  reason 
also  the  people  went  and  met  him  because  they 
heard  he  had  done  this  sign. 

"  You  see  how  you  have  gained  nothing,"  said 
the  Pharisees  to  each  other.  "Why,  the  whole 
world  has  gone  after  him," 

There  were  some  Greeks  among  those  who 
habitually  went  up  to  worship  at  the  feast.  So 
they  came  to  Philip  who  was  of  Bethsaida  of  Gal- 
ilee. 

''We  want  to  see  Jesus,  Sir,"  they  said. 
Philip   came  and   told  Andrew.     Andrew    and 
Philip  came  and  told  Jesus. 

*'  The  time  for  the  Son  of  man  to  be  honored 
has  come,"  Jesus  answered.  "Most  truly  I  tell 
you  : 

Unless  a  grain  of  wheat  falls  into  the  ground 
and  dies 
It  continues  by  itself  alone. 
But  if  it  dies. 

It  bears  a  great  deal  of  fruit. 
He  who  loves  his  life 

Loses  it. 
He  who  hates  his  life  in  this  world 

Shall  keep  it  to  life  eternal. 
If  any  one  is  serving  me  let  him  follow  me. 
And  where  I  am  there  will  also  my  servant 
be. 


S  JOHN        LIFE,  LIGHT,   TRUTH,  LOVE.  55 

12:  26.  )  .  > 

If  any  one  is  serving  me, 

Him  will  my  Father  honor. 
Now  is  my  soul  troubled. 
And  what  shall  I  say  ? 
Father,  save  me  from  this  hour. 

But  for  this  purpose  did  I  come  to  this  hour. 
Father,  honor  thy  name;" 
''I  have  both  honored  it,"  a  voice  then  came 
from  heaven,  ''and  I  will  honor  it  again." 

"  It  thundered,"  said  the  people  who  were 
standing  by  and  heard  it. 

''  An  angel  has  spoken  to  him,"  said  others. 
''This  voice  has  not  come  for  my  sake,"  Jesus 
said,  "but  for  your  sakes.  Now  is  the  judgment 
of  this  world.  Now  shall  the  Ruler  of  this  world 
be  cast  out.  And  I,  if  I  am  lifted  up  out  of  the 
earth,  will  draw  all  mankind  to  myself." 

But  Jesus  said  this  intimating  by  what  kind  of  a 
death  he  was  going  to  die. 

"We  have  heard  out  of  the  Law,"  the  people 
answered,  "  that  the  Christ  continues  forever.  So 
how  do  you  say  :  The  Son  of  man  must  be  lifted 
up  ?     Who  is  this  Son  of  man  ?  " 

"  The  Light  is  still  with  you  a  little  while,"  said 
Jesus.  "Walk  while  you  have  the  light,  so  that 
darkness  may  not  come  on  you.  For  he  who 
keeps  walking  in  darkness  does  not  know  where 
he  is  going.     Believe  in  the  light  while  you  have 


56  THE   WORD  MADE  FLESH.         ^[I'^J^^ 

the   light    so  that    you  may    become   children   of 
light." 

Jesus  said  this  and  went  away  and  hid  himself 
from  them.  But  though  he  had  done  so  many 
signs  before  them  yet  they  did  not  believe  in  him, 
so  that  the  word  of  Isaiah  the  Prophet  might  be 
fulfilled  when  he  said  : 

Lord,  who  hath  believed  our  report  ? 
And  to  whom  hath  the  arm  of  the  Lord  been  re- 
vealed ? 

So  they   could   not  believe  because  Isaiah   again 
said: 

He  hath  blinded  their  eyes, 

And  hardened  their  heart; 
Lest  they  should  see  with  their  eyes, 

And  perceive  with  their  heart, 

And  should  turn 
And  I  should  cure  them. 

Isaiah  said  this  when  he  saw  his  glory  and  spoke 
about  him. 

And  yet  even  many  of  the  rulers  believed  in 
Jesus.  But  because  of  the  Pharisees  they  did  not 
say  so,  for  fear  of  being  excommunicated.  For 
they  loved  the  praise  which  comes  from  men  rather 
than  that  which  comes  from  God. 

*' He  who  believes  in  me,"  Jesus  cried,  ''does 
not  believe  in  me,  but  in  him  who  sent  me.  And 
he  who  sees    aie  sees   him  who  sent  me.     I  have 


S.JOHN        LIFE,  LIGHT,   TRUTH,  LOVE.  57 

12:46.  '  '  ' 

come  as  a  light  into  the  world  so  that  whoever  be- 
lieves in  me  should  not  continue  in  darkness.  And 
if  any  one  hears  my  words  and  does  not  believe,  1 
do  not  judge  him.  For  I  did  not  come  to  judge 
the  world  but  to  save  it.  He  who  rejects  me  and 
does  not  accept  what  I  say  has  one  who  is  judg- 
ing him.  What  I  have  said  will  judge  him  in 
the  last  day.  For  I  have  not  spoken  on  my  own 
authority.  For  the  Father  who  sent  me  has  com- 
manded me  what  to  say  and  how  to  talk  about  it. 
I  know  his  commandment  is  life  eternal.  So  what 
I  talk  about  I  talk  about  it  just  as  the  Father  has 
said  to  me." 


68  THE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S.  Joun 

13:  1. 


III. 


Before  the  Passover,  when  Jesus  knew  his  time 
had  come  to  go  out  of  this  world  to  the  Father,  he 
had  loved  his  own  who  were  in  the  world  and  he 
loved  them  to  the  end. 

They  were  at  supper.  The  devil  had  already 
put  it  into  the  heart  of  Judah  Iscariot,  Simon's 
son,  to  betray  him. 

Jesus  knew  that  the  Father  had  given  everything 
into  his  hands,  that  he  came  out  from  God  and  was 
going  to  God.  So  rising  from  supper  and  laying 
aside  his  clothes  he  took  a  towel  and  tied  it  round 
himself.  He  poured  water  into  the  bason  and  be- 
gan to  wash  the  disciples'  feet  and  to  wipe  them 
with  the  towel  which  was  tied  round  him. 

''  Lord,  do  you  intend  to  wash  my  feet?  "  said 
Simon  Peter  when  he  came  to  him. 

''What  I  am  now  doing  you  do  not  now  know. 
But  you  will  learn  later  on." 

"  You  shall  never  wash  my  feet." 

"  If  I  do  not  wash  you,  you  have  no  part  with 
me." 

"  Lord,  not  only  my  feet,  but  also  my  hands  and 
my  head." 

**He  who  has  taken  a  bath  needs  only  to  wash  his 


S.JOHN  LOVE  IN  HUMILITY.  59 

13:  10. 

feet  and  he  is  entirely  clean.     And  you  are  clean. 
But  not  all." 

For  he  knew  his  betrayer.  So  he  said  :  ''You 
are  not  all  clean."  So  after  he  had  washed  their 
feet  and  again  taken  his  clothes  he  sat  down. 

' '  Do  you  understand  what  I  have  done  to  you  ?  ' ' 
he  said.  "  You  call  me  Teacher  and  Lord.  And 
you  say  well.  For  so  I  am.  If  I,  then,  your 
Lord  and  Teacher,  have  washed  your  feet,  you 
also  ought  to  wash  each  other's  feet.  For  I  have 
given  you  an  example  to  do  as  I  have  done  to  you. 
Most  truly  I  tell  you,  The  slave  is  not  greater 
than  his  master,  nor  is  he  who  has  been  sent 
greater  than  he  who  sent  him.  If  you  know  this 
happy  are  you  if  you  do  it.  I  am  not  speaking 
about  you  all.  I  know  whom  I  have  chosen.  But 
I  have  done  this  so  that  the  scripture  may  be  ful- 
filled : 

He,  who  is  eating  bread  with  me. 
Lifted  up  his  heel  against  me. 

From  this  moment  I  am  telling  you  before  it 
happens  so  that  when  it  has  happened  you  may  be- 
lieve I  am  he.     Most  truly  I  tell  you  : 

He  who  receives  whomever  I  send,  receives  me. 
He  who  receives  me,  receives  him  who  sent  me. ' ' 


60  THE   WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S.  John 

13 :  21. 


2. 

When  Jesus  had  said  this  he  was  troubled  in 
spirit. 

"  Most  truly  I  tell  you,"  he  said,  "  One  of  you 
will  betray  me." 

The  disciples  kept  looking  at  each  other  in  doubt 
of  whom  he  was  speaking. 

Now  there  was  at  table  reclining  on  Jesus*  bosom 
one  of  his  disciples  whom  he  loved.  So  Simon 
Peter  beckoned  to  him  : 

"  Tell  us  who  it  is  about  whom  he  is  speaking," 
he  said. 

*'  Lord,  who  is  it  ?  "  he  therefore  said  to  Jesus 
leaning  back  as  he  was  on  his  breast. 

"  It  is  he  to  whom  I  shall  give  a  piece  of  bread 
after  dipping  it." 

So  when  he  had  dipped  the  piece  of  bread  he 
gave  it  to  Judah  Iscariot,  the  son  of  Simon.  And 
after  the  piece  of  bread  had  been  thus  given  to 
him,  Satan  went  into  him. 

''What  you  are  intending  to  do,  do  quickly," 
said  Jesus. 

Now  no  one  at  the  table  knew  why  he  said  this 
to  him.  For  some  thought  because  Judah  had  the 
bag  Jesus  said  :  "  Buy  what  we  need  for  the  feast," 
or  "  to  give  something  lo  the  poor." 


S.JOHN  LOVE  IN  HUMILITY.  61 

13:30. 

So  when    he  had    received    the   piece  of  bread 
Judah  at  once  went  out. 
,     It  was  night. 


3- 

''Now  is  the  Son  of  man  honored,"  Jesus  said 
after  Judah  had  gone  out,  "  and  God  is  honored 
in  him.  And  God  will  honor  him  in  himself,  and 
will  at  once  honor  him.  Little  children,  I  am  still 
with  you  a  little  while.  You  will  seek  me,  and  as 
I  told  the  Jews,  Where  I  am  going  you  cannot 
come,  so  now  I  tell  you.  I  give  you  a  new  com- 
mandment :  Love  each  other.  Love  each  other 
just  as  I  have  loved  you.  By  this  will  everybody 
come  to  know  that  you  are  my  disciples, — by  the 
love  you  have  for  each  other." 

"Lord,"  said  Simon  Peter,  "where  are  you 
going?" 

"  Where  I  am  going  you  cannot  follow  me  now. 
But  you  shall  follow  me  later  on." 

"Lord,  why  cannot  I  follow  you  now?  I  will 
lay  down  my  life  for  your  sake." 

"Will  you  lay  down  your  life  for  my  sake? 
Most  truly  I  tell  you,  The  cock  will  not  crow  be- 
fore you  have  denied  me  three  times. " 


62  THE    WORD  MADE  ELEiSR.  S.  .)oun 

14:1. 


IV. 

"  Do  not  let  your  heart  be  troubled,"  Jesus  con- 
tinued, "  Believe  in  God,  that  is,  believe  in  me. 
In  my  Father's  house  are  many  abiding-places.  If 
it  were  not  so  I  would  have  told  you.  I  am  going 
to  prepare  a  place  for  you.  And  if  I  am  going  and 
shall  prepare  a  place  for  you,  I  am  coming  again 
and  shall  receive  you  to  myself,  so  that  where  I 
am  you  also  may  be.  And  where  I  am  going  you 
know  the  way." 

"  Lord,"  said  Thomas,  "we  do  not  know  where 
you  are  going,  and  how  can  we  know  the  way?  " 

''  I  am  the  way,  that  is,  the  truth,  that  is,  the  life," 
said  the  Lord.  "  No  one  comes  to  the  Father  but 
through  me.  If  you  had  gotten  to  know  me,  you 
would  have  known  my  Father  also.  And  from  now 
on  you  have  gotten  to  know  him  and  have  seen 
him." 

*'  Lord,  show  us  the  Father  and  it  is  enough  for 
us." 

*'  Have  I  been  so  long  with  you  and  you  have 
not  gotten  to  know  me,  Philip?  He  who  has 
seen  me  has  seen  the  Father.  So  how  do  you  say 
then,  Show  us  the  Father  ?     Do  you  not  believe  I 


S.John  LAST   WORDS.  63 

14:  10. 

am  in  the  Father  and  the  Father  in  me?  The 
words  I  am  speaking  to  you  I  am  not  speaking  on 
my  own  authority,  but  the  Father  dwelhng  in  me 
is  doing  the  works.  BeHeve  me  that  I  am  in  the 
Father  and  the  Father  in  me,  or  else  beheve  me  for 
the  very  deed's  sake.  Most  truly  I  tell  you,  He 
who  keeps  believing  in  me  shall  do  what  I  am  do- 
ing. And  greater  deeds  than  these  shall  he  do, 
because  I  am  going  to  the  Father.  Whatever  you 
shall  ask  in  my  name  I  will  do  it,  so  that  the  Father 
may  be  honored  in  the  Son.  If  you  shall  ask  any- 
thing in  my  name  I  will  do  it.  If  you  love  me  you 
will  keep  my  commandments.  And  I  will  pray  the 
Father  and  he  will  give  you  another  Helper  to  be 
with  you  forever,  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  whom  the 
world  cannot  receive.  For  it  neither  looks  at  him 
nor  gets  to  know  him.  But  you  get  to  know  him. 
For  he  continues  with  you  and  is  in  you.  I  will 
not  leave  you  orphans.  I  am  coming  to  you.  Yet 
a  little  while  and  the  world  looks  at  me  no  longer. 
But  you  look  at  me.  For  I  am  living  and  you 
will  live.  In  that  day  you  will  learn  that  I  am 
in  my  Father  and  you  in  me  and  I  in  you.  He 
who  has  my  commandments  and  is  keeping  them  is 
the  one  who  is  loving  me.  And  the  one  who  loves 
me  will  be  loved  by  my  Father.  And  I  will  love 
him  and  will  make  myself  known  to  him." 


64  THE    WORD   MADE  FLESH.  S  John 

14:  22. 

''  Lord,"  said  Judah.  Not  Iscariot.  *'  Lord, 
how  is  it  you  will  make  yourself  known  to  us  and 
not  to  the  world  ?  " 

*'  If  any  one  loves  me  he  will  do  what  I  tell  him, 
and  my  Father  will  love  him,  and  we  will  come  to 
him  and  make  our  abode  with  him.  He  who  does 
not  love  me,  does  not  do  what  I  tell  him.  And 
what  I  tell  you  is  not  mine,  but  the  Father's  who 
sent  me.  I  have  said  these  things  to  you  while 
still  present  with  you.  But  the  Helper,  the  Holy 
Spirit,  whom  the  Father  will  send  in  my  name, 
will  teach  you  everything  and  bring  to  your  remem- 
brance everything  I  said  to  you.  Peace  I  am  leav- 
ing you.  My  peace  I  am  giving  you.  Not  as  the 
world  gives  am  I  giving  to  you.  Do  not  let  your 
heart  be  troubled,  nor  let  it  be  afraid.  You  heard 
how  I  said,  I  am  going  away  and  am  coming  to 
you.  If  you  loved  me  you  would  have  rejoiced 
because  I  am  going  to  the  Father.  For  the  Father 
is  greater  than  I.  And  now  I  have  told  you  before 
it  happens,  so  that  when  it  has  happened  you  may 
believe.  I  will  no  longer  talk  much  with  you.  For 
the  ruler  of  the  world  is  coming.  He  has  nothing 
in  me.  But  this  is  done  so  that  the  world  may 
come  to  a  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  I  love  the 
Father  and  as  the  Father  gave  me  commandment 
so  I  am  doing.     Rise,  let  us  go  from  here. 


S.^JOHN  LAST  WORDS.  65 


2. 

I  am  the  real  vine  and  my  Father  is  the  vine- 
dresser. Every  branch  in  me  which  does  not  keep 
bearing  fruit  he  takes  away.  And  every  branch 
which  bears  fruit  he  keeps  trimming  so  that  it  may 
keep  bearing  more  fruit.  Already  you  are  trimmed 
because  of  what  I  have  told  you.  Continue  in  me 
and  I  in  you.  As  the  branch  cannot  bear  fruit  by 
itself  except  it  continues  in  the  vine,  no  more  can 
you  except  you  continue  in  me.  I  am  the  vine. 
You  are  the  branches.  He  who  continues  in  me 
and  I  in  him  keeps  bearing  a  great  deal  of  fruit. 
For  without  me  you  can  do  nothing.  If  any  one 
does  not  continue  in  me  he  is  thrown  away  as  a 
branch  and  is  withered.  So  they  are  gathered, 
thrown  into  the  fire,  and  burned.  If  you  continue 
in  me  and  my  words  continue  in  you,  you  shall 
ask  what  you  wish  and  it  shall  be  done  for  you. 
My  Father  is  honored  in  your  bearing  a  great  deal 
of  fruit  and  becoming  my  disciples.  Just  as  the 
Father  has  loved  me  have  I  also  loved  you.  Con- 
tinue in  my  love. 

If  you  keep  my  commandments. 
You  will  continue  in  my  love, 

Just  as  I  have  kept  my  Father's  commandments, 
And  continue  in  his  love. 


66  THE    WORD   MADE  FLESH.  S.John 

15:  11. 

I  have  told  you  these  things  so  that  my  joy  may 
be  in  you,  and  your  joy  may  be  made  complete. 
My  commandment  is  this,  that  you  love  each  other 
just  as  I  have  loved  you.  No  one  has  greater  love 
than  to  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends.  You  are 
my  friends,  if  you  do  whatever  I  command  you. 
No  longer  do  I  call  you  slaves.  For  the  slave 
does  not  know  what  his  master  is  doing.  I  have 
rather  called  you  friends.  For  I  have  made 
known  to  you  everything  which  I  heard  from 
my  Father.  You  did  not  choose  me.  I  chose 
you  and  appointed  you  to  go  and  keep  bearing 
fruit  and  your  fruit  to  continue,  so  that  whatever 
you  shall  ask  of  the  Father  in  my  name  he  may 
give  you. 

I  am  giving  you  these  commandments  so  that 
you  may  love  each  other.  If  the  world  hates  you 
become  acquainted  with  the  fact  that  it  has  hated 
me  before  it  hated  you.  If  you  were  of  the  world 
the  world  would  have  a  personal  affection  for  its 
own.  But  because  you  are  not  of  the  world,  but  I 
have  chosen  you  out  of  the  world,  the  world  hates 
you.  Remember  what  I  told  you,  A  slave  is  not 
greater  than  his  master.  If  they  persecuted  me, 
they  will  also  persecute  you.  If  they  kept  my 
word  they  will  keep  yours  also.  But  they  will  do 
everything  to  you  for  my  name's  sake,  because 
they  do  not  know  him  who  sent  me.     If  I  had  not 


S.JopiN  LAST   WORDS.  67 

15:  22. 

come  and  talked  to  them  they  would  not  have  had 
sin.  But  now  they  have  no  excuse  for  their  sin. 
He  who  hates  me  hates  my  Father  also.  If  I  had 
not  done  among  them  the  deeds  no  one  else  did, 
they  would  not  have  had  sin.  But  now  they  have 
both  seen  and  hated  both  me  and  my  Father.  But 
this  happens  so  that  what  is  written  m  their  law 
may  be  fulfilled : 

They  hated  me  without  a  cause. 

But  when  the  Helper  has  come  whom  I  will  send 
you  from  the  Father,  that  is,  the  Spirit  of  Truth 
who  proceeds  from  the  Father,  he  will  bear 
witness  about  me.  And  you  also  are  bearing  wit- 
ness because  you  have  been  with  me  from  the 
beginning. 

I  have  told  you  this  so  that  you  may  not  be 
offended.  They  will  excommunicate  you.  Yes, 
the  time  is  coming  when  whoever  kills  you  will 
think  he  is  doing  God  service.  And  they  will  do 
these  things  because  they  never  became  acquainted 
with  the  Father  nor  me.  But  I  have  told  you  this, 
so  that  when  the  time  has  come  you  may  remember 
I  told  you  about  it.  I  did  not  tell  you  this  from 
the  beginning,  because  I  was  with  you.  But  now 
I  am  going  to  him  who  sent  me,  and  none  of  you 
asks  me.  Where  are  you  going  ?  But  because  I  have 
told  you  this,  sorrow  has  filled  your  heart.     And 


68  THE   WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S.John 

16:7. 

yet  I  tell  you  the  truth,  It  is  expedient  for  you  that 
I  go  away.  For  if  I  do  not  go  away  the  Helper 
will  not  come  to  you.  But  if  I  go  I  will  send  him 
to  you.  So  when  he  has  come  he  will  convict  the 
world  of  sin,  and  of  goodness,  and  of  judgment. 
Of  sin,  because  they  do  not  believe  in  me.  Of 
goodness,  because  I  am  going  to  the  Father  and  you 
do  not  see  me  any  more.  Of  judgment,  because 
the  ruler  of  this  world  has  been  judged.  I  have 
still  many  things  to  tell  you,  but  you  cannot  bear 
them  now.  But  when  the  Spirit  of  Truth  has 
come  he  will  guide  you  into  all  the  truth.  For  he 
will  not  speak  on  his  own  authority.  But  whatever 
he  hears  he  will  talk  about  and  will  announce  to 
you  the  things  to  come.  He  will  honor  me.  For 
he  will  take  of  mine  and  will  announce  it  to  you. 
Everything  the  Father  has  is  mine.  So  I  said  he 
is  taking  of  mine  and  will  announce  it  to  you. 

A  little  while  and  you  are  looking  at  me  no  longer. 
And  again  a  little  while  and  you  will  see  me." 

''  What  is  this  he  is  saying  to  us?"  said  some 
of  his  disciples  to  each  other.  *'  A  little  while  and 
you  are  not  looking  at  me,  and  again  a  little  while 
and  you  will  see  me,  and.  Because  I  am  going  to 
the  Father."     So  they  said:    ''What  is  this  he  is 


S  JOHN  LAST   WORDS.  69 

16:  18. 

saying,  A  little  while?  We  do  not  know  what  he 
is  saying." 

Jesus  got  to  know  they  wanted  to  ask  him,  so  he 
said  to  them : 

''  Do  you  inquire  of  each  other  about  what  I 
said : 

A  little  while  and  you  are  not  looking  at  me. 
And  again  a  little  while  and  you  will  see  me? 

Most  truly  I  tell  you,  you  will  weep  and  lament 
but  the  world  will  rejoice.  And  you  will  be 
sorrowful.  But  your  sorrow  will  be  turned  into 
joy.  A  woman  when  she  is  in  labor  has  pain 
because  her  time  has  come.  But  when  the  little 
one  has  been  born  she  no  longer  remembers  the 
anguish  for  the  joy  that  a  man  has  been  born  into 
the  world.  So  you  now  have  pain.  But  I  will  see 
you  again,  and  your  heart  shall  rejoice  and  no  one 
shall  rob  you  of  your  joy. 

In  that  day  you  will  ask  me  no  question  at  all. 
Most  truly  I  tell  you,  If  you  shall  ask  anything  of 
the  Father  he  will  give  it  to  you  in  my  name.  Be- 
fore this  you  have  asked  nothing  in  my  name. 
Ask,  and  you  shall  receive  so  that  your  happiness 
may  be  complete. 

My  talking  to  you  has  been  in  dark  sayings. 
The  time  is  coming  when  I  shall  no  longer  talk  to 


70  THE    WORD   MADE  FLESH.  S.  John 

16:  25. 

you  in  dark  sayings,  but  shall  tell  you  plainly  about 
the  Father.  In  that  day  you  will  ask  in  my  name. 
And  I  do  not  tell  you  I  will  pray  the  Father  for 
you.  For  the  Father  himself  loves  you  because  you 
have  loved  me  and  have  believed  I  came  out  from 
beside  the  Father.  I  came  out  of  the  Father  and 
have  come  into  the  world.  Again  I  am  leaving 
the  world  and  am  going  to  the  Father." 

''Why,  now  you  are  talking  plainly  and  not 
saying  any  dark  saying.  Now  we  know  you  know 
everything  and  do  not  need  any  one  to  ask  you. 
By  this  we  believe  you  came  out  from  God." 

''Do  you  now  believe?  Why,  the  time  is 
coming,  yes,  it  has  already  come,  when  you  will 
be  scattered,  every  one  to  his  own,  and  will  leave 
me  alone.  And  yet  I  am  not  alone,  because  the 
Father  is  with  me.  I  have  talked  about  these 
things  with  you  so  that  in  me  you  may  have  peace. 
In  the  world  you  have  tribulation.  But  take 
courage.     I  have  overcome  the  world. ' ' 


3- 

Jesus  talked  about  these  things  and  lifted  up  his 
eyes  to  heaven. 

"Father,"  he  said,  "  the  time  has  come.  Honor 
thy  Son  so  that  the  Son  may  honor  thee.  Thou 
gavest  him  authority  over  all  flesh,  so  that  he  should 


S.  JOHN  PEA  YING.  71 

17  i  2. 

give  eternal  life  to  all  those  whom  thou  hast  given 
him.  And  the  eternal  life  is  this,  to  become  ac- 
quainted with  thee,  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus 
Christ  whom  thou  didst  send.  I  honored  thee  on 
earth.  I  have  finished  the  work  thou  gavest  me  to 
do.  And  now,  O  Father,  honor  me  with  thine 
own  self  with  the  honor  I  had  with  thee  before  the 
world  was.  I  made  known  thy  name  to  the  men 
thou  gavest  me  out  of  the  world.  They  were  thine 
and  thou  gavest  them  to  me  out  of  the  world. 
Now  they  understand  that  everything  thou  hast 
given  me  is  from  thee.  For  I  have  told  them  what 
thou  didst  tell  me,  and  they  accepted  it  and  be- 
came truly  acquainted  with  the  fact  that  I  came 
out  from  thee  and  they  believed  thou  didst  send 
me.  I  pray  for  them.  I  do  not  pray  for  the 
world,  but  for  those  thou  hast  given  me.  For  they 
are  thine.  And  all  mine  are  thine  and  thine  are 
mine,  and  I  am  honored  in  them.  And  I  am  no 
longer  in  the  world,  but  these  are  in  the  world, 
and  I  am  coming  to  thee.  Holy  Father,  keep 
in  thy  name  those  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  so 
that  they  may  be  one  just  as  we  are.  While  I  was 
with  them  I  kept  in  thy  name  those  whom  thou 
hast  given  me,  and  I  guarded  them  and  not  one  of 
them  perished  but  the  son  of  perdition  so  that  the 
Scripture  might  be  fulfilled.  But  now  I  am  coming 
to  thee  and  I  am  talking  about  these  things  in  the 


72  THE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S  John 

1» :  13. 

world  so  that  the)^  may  have  my  happiness  made 
complete  in  themselves.  I  have  told  them  what 
thou  didst  say,  and  the  world  hated  them,  because 
they  are  not  of  the  world  just  as  I  am  not  of  the 
world.  I  am  not  asking  thee  to  take  them  out  of 
the  world  but  to  keep  them  from  the  evil  one. 
They  are  not  of  the  world  just  as  I  am  not  of 
the  world.  Set  them  apart  in  the  truth.  What 
thou  dost  say  is  truth.  Just  as  thou  didst  send 
me  into  the  world  so  did  I  send  them  into  the 
world.  And  for  their  sakes  I  set  myself  apart,  so 
that  they  themselves  also  may  be  set  apart  in 
truth. 

Nor  do  I  pray  for  these  alone,  but  for  those 
also  who  believe  in  me  through  what  they  say,  so 
that  they  all  may  be  one  just  as  thou.  Father,  art 
in  me,  and  I  in  thee,  so  that  they  also  may  be  in 
us,  so  that  the  world  may  believe  that  thou  didst 
send  me.  And  the  honor  thou  hast  given  me  I 
have  given  them,  so  that  they  may  be  one  just  as 
we  are  one,  I  in  them  and  thou  in  me,  so  that  they 
may  be  perfected  into  one,  so  that  the  world  may 
get  to  know  that  thou  didst  send  me  and  didst  love 
them  just  as  thou  didst  love  me.  Father,  it  is  my 
desire  that  they  also  whom  thou  hast  given  me  may 
be  with  me  where  I  am,  so  that  they  may  look  at 
my  honor  which  thou  hast  given  me.  For  thou 
didst  love  me  before  the  foundation  of  the  world. 


S-  John  PEA  YING.  tS 

17:  25. 

0  Good  Father,  the  world  did  not  get  to  know  thee 
but  I  got  to  know  thee,  and  these  got  to  know  that 
thou  didst  send  me,  and  I  made  known  to  them 
thy  name  and  will  make  it  known,  so  that  the  love 
with  which  thou  didst  love  me  may  be  in  them  and 

1  in  them." 


74  THE   WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S.John 

18:  1. 


V. 

When  Jesus  had  said  this  he  went  out  with  his 
disciples  over  the  brook  Kidron  where  there  was  a 
garden  which  he  and  his  disciples  entered. 

Judah  also  who  was  betraying  him  knew  the 
place.  For  Jesus  often  went  there  with  his  dis- 
ciples. So  when  he  had  received  the  company  of 
soldiers  and  some  of  the  temple  guard  from  the 
Chief  Priests  and  Pharisees,  Judah  came  with 
lanterns  and  torches  and  weapons. 

''Whom  are  you  seeking?"  said  Jesus  as  he 
went  out,  aware  of  everything  which  was  coming 
on  him. 

''Jesus  the  Nazarene." 

"lam  he." 

Judah  also  who  was  betraying  him  was  standing 
with  them.  So  when  Jesus  said  to  them,  I  am  he, 
they  went  backward  and  fell  to  the  ground. 

"  Whom  are  you  seeking  ?  "  he  again  asked. 

"Jesus  the  Nazarene." 

"  I  told  you  I  am  he.  So  if  you  are  seeking  me 
allow  these  to  go  away."  He  said  this  so  that 
the  word  might  be  fulfilled  which  he  said : 

Of  those  thou  hast  given  me,  1  lost  not  one. 


S.JOHN  SUFFERING.  75 

18:  10. 

Simon  Peter  had  a  sword,  so  he  drew  it,  struck 
the  High  Priest's  slave,  and  cut  off  his  right  ear. 
The  slave's  name  was  Malchus. 

*'  Put  up  the  sword  into  the  sheath,"  said  Jesus 
to  Peter.  * '  Shall  I  not  drink  the  cup  my  Father 
has  given  me  ?  " 

2. 

So  the  soldiers  of  the  garrison,  and  the  Colonel, 
and  the  Jewish  members  of  the  temple  guard,  seized 
Jesus,  and  bound  him  and  led  him  to  Annas  first, 
for  he  was  father-in-law  to  Caiaphas  the  High 
Priest  that  year.  Caiaphas  was  he  who  advised 
the  Jews  that  it  was  expedient  for  one  man  to  die 
for  the  people. 

Simon  Peter  followed  Jesus  and  so  did  another 
disciple.  That  disciple  was  known  to  the  High 
Priest.  So  he  went  in  with  Jesus  into  the  court  of 
the  High  Priest.  Peter  kept  standing  outside  at 
the  door.  So  the  other  disciple  who  was  known  to 
the  High  Priest  went  out  and  spoke  to  her  who 
was  tending  the  door  and  brought  Peter  in. 

''  You  also  are  not  one  of  this  man's  disciples  ?  " 
said  the  girl  who  was  tending  the  door  to  Peter. 

''I  am  not,"  he  said. 

Now  the  slaves  and  the  constables  were  standing 
round  a  charcoal  fire  which  they  had  made  because 
it  was  cold,  and  they  were  warming  themselves, 


76  THE   WORD  MADE  FLESH.         \^P^^ 

and  Peter  was  standing  with  them  warming  him- 
self. The  High  Priest  asked  Jesus  about  his  dis- 
ciples and  about  his  teaching. 

'^  I  have  talked  openly  to  the  world,"  Jesus  an- 
swered. "I  always  taught  in  synagogue  and  in 
the  Temple  where  all  the  Jews  come  together,  and 
in  secret  I  talked  about  nothing.  Why  do  you  ask 
me?  Ask  those  who  heard  me  what  I  talked 
about  with  them.     These  know  what  I  said." 

''  Do  you  answer  the  High  Priest  in  such  a  way  ?  " 
said  one  of  the  constables  standing  by  as  he  struck 
Jesus  with  his  hand. 

''If  I  have  spoken  evil,  bear  witness  about  the 
evil.     But  if  well,  why  do  you  strike  me  ?  " 

So  Annas  sent  him  bound  to  Caiaphas  the  High 
Priest. 

Now  Simon  Peter  was  standing  warming  himself. 

''You  also  are  not  one  of  his  disciples  ?  "  they 
said  to  him. 

"  I  am  not,"  he  said. 

"  Did  I  not  see  you  in  the  garden  with  him  ?  " 
said  one  of  the  slaves  of  the  High  Priest,  a  relative 
of  the  one  whose  ear  Peter  cut  off. 

Peter  denied  again.     And  at  once  a  cock  crew. 

3- 
So  they  led  Jesus  from   Caiaphas  into  the  gov- 
ernor's quarters.     It  was  early.     They  themselves 


S.  JOHN  SUFFERING.  77 

18:  28. 

did  not  go  in,  so  that  they  might  not  be  defiled, 
but  might  eat  the  Passover.  So  Pilate  went  out  to 
them. 

''What  charge  are  you  bringing  against  this 
man  ?  "  he  said. 

'*  If  he  had  not  been  a  criminal,  we  should  not 
have  handed  him  over  to  you." 

"  Take  him  yourselves  and  try  him  according  to 
your  law." 

*'  It  is  not  lawful  for  us  to  put  any  one  to  death," 
the  Jews  answered  to  this,  so  that  the  word  of  Jesus 
might  be  fulfilled  when  he  spoke  intimating  by  what 
death  he  was  going  to  die. 

So  Pilate  went  into  the  governor's  quarters  again 
and  called  Jesus. 

'*  You  are  the  King  of  the  Jews  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  On  your  own  authority,  are  you  saying  this  or 
did  others  tell  you  about  me  ?  " 

''  Surely  I  am  not  a  Jew  ?  Your  own  people  and 
the  Chief  Priests  handed  you  over  to  me.  What 
have  you  done?" 

''  My  Kingdom  is  not  of  this  world.  If  my 
Kingdom  had  been  of  this  world  then  my  followers 
would  have  gone  on  fighting  so  that  I  should  not 
be  handed  over  to  the  Jews.  But,  as  it  is,  my 
Kingdom  is  not  from  here." 

*'  Then  you  are  a  King,  are  you  ?  " 


78  THE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.  S.John 

18:  37. 

"You  say  it,  because  I  am  a  King.  For  this 
purpose  have  I  been  born  and  for  this  purpose 
have  I  come  into  the  world,  to  bear  witness  to  the 
truth.  Every  one  who  is  of  the  truth  hears  my 
voice." 

''What  is  truth?  " 

When  Pilate  had  said  this  he  went  out  again  to 
the  Jews. 

''  I  do  not  find  even  a  single  cause  for  bringing 
a  charge  against  him,"  he  said.  **But  you  have  a 
custom  that  I  should  release  you  one  at  the  Pass- 
over. So  do  you  want  me  to  release  you  the  King 
of  the  Jews?" 

"■  Not  this  man,  but  Barabbas  !  "  they  again  cried 
out. 

Now  Barabbas  was  a  robber. 

So  Pilate  then  took  Jesus  and  beat  him,  and  the 
soldiers  platted  a  crown  of  thorns  and  put  it  on 
his  head,  and  a  purple  robe  on  him.  And  they 
kept  coming  up  to  him  and  saying : 

''Long  live  the  King  of  the  Jews!  "  and  they 
struck  him  with  their  hands. 

Pilate  went  out  again. 

"  Look,"  he  said,  "  I  am  bringing  him  out  to  you 
so  that  you  may  know  I  find  no  cause  for  a  charge 
against  him." 

Jesus  came  out  wearing  the  purple  robe. 

"  Look,  here  is  the  man,"  said  Pilate. 


S.  JOHN  SUFFERING.  79 

19:  6. 

''  Crucify  him  !  "  the  Chief  Priests  and  their  fol- 
lowers cried  out  when  they  saw  him.  "Crucify 
him!" 

''Take  him  yourselves  and  crucify  him.  For  I 
find  no  cause  for  a  charge  against  him." 

"We  have  a  law,  and  by  that  law  he  ought  to 
die,  because  he  made  himself  the  Son  of  God." 

So  when  Pilate  heard  this  he  was  the  more  afraid, 
and  went  into  the  governor's  quarters  again. 

"  Where  do  you  come  from  ?  "  he  asked  Jesus. 

He  gave  him  no  answer. 

"  Do  you  refuse  to  speak  even  to  me  ?  Do  you 
not  know  I  have  authority  to  release  you,  and  I 
have  authority  to  crucify  you?  " 

"  You  would  have  no  authority  at  all  against 
me,  if  it  had  not  been  given  to  you  from  above. 
So  he  who  handed  me  over  to  you  has  greater 
sin." 

From  that  time  Pilate  kept  trying  to  release 
him. 

"If  you  let  this  man  go  you  are  not  Caesar's 
friend,"  the  Jews  cried  out.  "Whoever  makes 
himself  a  King  opposes  Caesar. ' ' 

So  when  Pilate  heard  this  he  brought  Jesus  out 
and  sat  down  on  the  judgment  seat  at  a  place  called 
the  Pavement,  but  in  Hebrew,  Gabbatha. 

Now  it  was  the  Preparation  of  the  Passover  and 
about  noon. 


80  THE   WORD  3IADE  FLESH.  \^.^S^ 

"  Look,  your  King  !  "  said  Pilate  to  the  Jews. 

"  x\vvay  with  him  !  Away  with  him  !  Crucify 
him  !  " 

''  Shall  I  crucify  your  King  ?  " 

''  We  have  no  King  but  Caesar  !  " 

It  was  the  Chief  Priests  who  answered.  So  Pilate 
then  handed  him  over  to  them  to  be  crucified. 


S.JOHN  SUFFERING.  81 

19:  16. 


VI. 

So  they  took  Jesus  and  led  him  away.  And 
carrying  the  cross  for  himself  he  went  out  to  the 
place  called,  The  Place  of  a  Skull,  but  in  Hebrew, 
Golgotha,  where  they  crucified  him  and  two  others 
with  him,  on  each  side  one,  and  Jesus  between 
them.  Pilate  wrote  a  title  also  and  put  it  on  the 
cross.     It  was  this : 

JESUS,  THE   NAZARENE, 
THE   KING   OF   THE   JEWS. 

So  many  of  the  Jews  read  it.  For  the  place 
where  Jesus  was  crucified  was  near  the  city.  It  was 
written  in  Hebrew  and  Latin  and  Greek. 

*'  Do  not  write,  The  King  of  the  Jews,"  said  the 
Chief  Priests  of  the  Jews  to  Pilate,  ' '  but  that  he 
said,  I  am  King  of  the  Jews." 

<'  What  I  have  written,  I  have  written,"  answered 
Pilate. 

So  when  they  had  crucified  Jesus,  the  soldiers 
took  his  clothes,  made  four  parts,  to  every  soldier  a 
part,  and  also  the  coat.  Now  the  coat  was  seam- 
less, woven  from  the  top  throughout. 


82  THE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.         S.John 

19:  24. 

''  Do  not  let  us  tear  it,"  they  for  this  reason  said 
to  each  other,  "but  cast  lots  for  it  to  see  whose  it 
will  be." 

This  happened  so  that  the  Scripture  might  be  ful- 
filled which  says : 

They  parted  my  clothes  among  them 
And  for  my  vesture  they  cast  lots. 

So  the  soldiers  did  these  things. 

2. 

Now  there  were  standing  by  the  cross  of  Jesus  his 
mother  and  his  mother's  sister,  Mary  the  wife  of 
Cleopas  and  Mary  Magdalene. 

"  Mother,"  said  Jesus  to  her  when  he  saw  her 
and  the  disciple  he  loved  standing  by,  ''  Mother, 
look,  your  son." 

''Look,  your  mother,"  he  then  said  to  the  dis- 
ciple. 

From  that  time  the  disciple  took  her  to  his  own 
home. 

''I  am  thirsty,"  said  Jesus  after  this,  knowing 
that .  everything  was  now  finished  so  that  the 
scripture  might  be  fulfilled. 

There  was  sitting  there  a  bowl  full  of  sour  wine. 
So  they  put  a  sponge  full  of  the  wine  on  a  hyssop 
stalk  and  put  it  to  his  mouth. 

*'It  is  finished,"  he  said  when  he  had  received 
the  wine. 


S.JOHN      .  SUFFERING.  83 

19:  30. 

He  bowed  his  head  and  gave  up  his  spirit.  So 
the  Jews  asked  Pilate  to  have  their  legs  broken  and 
have  them  taken  away  so  that  the  bodies  might  not 
remain  on  the  cross  on  the  Sabbath.  For  it  was 
Preparation  and  the  day  of  that  Sabbath  was  a  high 
day.  So  the  soldiers  came  and  broke  the  legs  of 
the  first  and  of  the  other  who  was  crucified  with 
him.  But  when  they  came  to  Jesus  and  saw  he 
was  already  dead,  they  did  not  break  his  legs  but 
one  of  the  soldiers  pierced  his  side  with  a  spear  and 
at  once  blood  and  water  came  out.  And  he  who 
has  seen  has  borne  witness  and  his  witness  is  true 
and  he  knows  he  says  what  is  true,  so  that  you  also 
may  believe.  For  these  things  happened  so  that 
the  scripture  might  be  fulfilled  : 

"  A  bone  of  him  shall  not  be  broken." 

And  again  another  scripture  says  : 

"They  shall  look  on  him  whom  ihey  pierced." 

3- 

After  this  Joseph  of  Arimath?ea,  a  disciple  of 
Jesus,  but  secretly  for  fear  of  the  Jews,  asked 
Pilate's  permission  to  take  away  the  body  of  Jesus. 
Pilate  gave  him  leave.  So  he  came  and  took  away 
his  body.  Nicodemus  also  came,  he  who  once 
came  to  Jesus  by  night.  He  came  with  a  roll  of 
myrrh  and  aloes,  about  a  hundred  pound  weight. 


84  THE    WORD   MADE  FLESH.         S.John 

19:  40. 

So  they  took  the  body  of  Jesus  and  bound  it  in 
linen  cloths  with  the  spices,  in  the  way  the  Jews 
bury. 

In  the  place  where  he  was  crucified  was  a  garden, 
in  the  garden  a  new  tomb,  and  in  it  no  one  had 
ever  yet  been  laid.  So  because  of  the  Jews'  Prepa- 
ration, for  the  tomb  was  near,  they  laid  Jesus  there. 


^'20^1^  ^/S/iVG.  «5 


VII. 

The  first  day  of  the  week  Mary  Magdalene  came 
early  while  it  was  still  dark  to  the  tomb  and  saw 
the  stone  taken  from  it  and  she  ran  and  came  to 
Simon  Peter  and  the  other  disciple  whom  Jesus 
loved. 

''They  have  taken  away  the  Lord  out  of  the 
tomb,"  she  said^  ''and  we  do  not  know  where 
they  have  laid  him." 

Peter  and  the  other  disciple  went  out  arid  started 
for  the  tomb.  They  both  ran  together,  but  the 
other  disciple  kept  outrunning  Peter  and  came  first 
to  the  tomb.  He  stooped  and  looked  in.  He  saw 
the  Hnen  cloths  lying  but  he  did  not  go  in.  Simon 
Peter  also  came  following  him  and  went  into  the 
tomb.  He  saw  the  linen  cloths,  and  the  napkin 
which  was  on  his  head  not  lying  with  the  linen 
cloths,  but  rolled  up  in  a  place  by  itself.  So  the 
other  disciple  also  who  came  first  to  the  tomb  went 
in,  and  he  saw  and  beHeved.  For  as  yet  they  did 
not  know  the  scripture  that  he  must  rise  from  the 
dead. 

They  went  back  home.  • 


86  THE   WORD  3IADE  FLESH.         \^?^^ 


2. 

But  Mary  kept  standing  outside  the  tomb  crying. 
So  as  she  was  crying  she  stooped  down  and  looked 
into  the  tomb,  and  she  saw  two  angels  in  white 
sitting  where  the  body  of  Jesus  had  laid,  one  at  the 
head  and  one  at  the  feet. 

"  Woman,  why  are  you  weeping?  "  they  asked. 

"Because  they  have  taken  away  my  Lord  and  I 
do  not  know  where  they  have  laid  him." 

On  saying  this  she  turned  round  and  saw  Jesus 
standing  but  did  not  know  it  was  he. 

''Woman,  why  are  you  weeping?"  he  said. 
*'  Whom  are  you  seeking  ?  " 

''  If  you  have  taken  him  away  from  here,  Sir," 
said  Mary,  supposing  him  to  be  the  gardener,  ''tell 
me  where  you  have  laid  him,  and  I  will  take  him 
away." 

"  Mary  !  " 

"  Rabboni !  "  she  turned  and  answered  him  in 
Hebrew.     This  means  Teacher, 

"  Do  not  keep  clinging  to  me.  For  I  have  not 
yet  ascended  to  the  Father.  But  go  to  my  brothers 
and  tell  them  :  I  am  ascending  to  my  Father  and 
your  Father  and  my  God  and  your  God." 

Mary  Magdalene  came  and  told  the  disciples  : 
"  I  have  seen  the  Lord,"  and  how  he  had  said  these 
things  to  her. 


S^JOHN  ASCENDING.  87 


3- 

So  the  same  day,  at  evening,  the  first  day  of  the 
week,  when  for  fear  of  the  Jews  the  doors  were  shut 
where  the  disciples  were  assembled  Jesus  came  and 
stood  among  them,  and  said  : 

**  Peace  be  unto  you." 

When  he  had  said  this  he  showed  them  his  hands 
and  his  side.  So  the  disciples  were  glad  when  they 
saw  the  Lord. 

'*  Peace  be  unto  you,"  he  said  to  them  again. 
"Just  as  the  Father  has  sent  me  out,  I  also  send 
you." 

When  he  had  said  this  he  breathed  on  them. 

"Receive  the  Holy  Spirit,"  he  said.  "If  you 
are  putting  away  any  one's  sins,  they  are  being  put 
away;  if  you  continue  to  hold  them,  they  have 
been  and  are  being  held." 

But  Thomas,  one  of  the  twelve,  called  Didymus, 
was  not  with  them  when  Jesus  came. 

"  We  have  seen  the  Lord,"  the  other  disciples 
said  to  him. 

"Unless  I  shall  see  in  his  hands  the  print  of  the 
nails,"  he  answered,  "  and  put  my  finger  into  the 
print  of  the  nails,  and  my  hand  into  his  side,  I  will 
by  no  means  believe." 


88  THE   WORD  3IADE  FLESH.         S.John 

20:  26. 

So  eight  days  later  his  disciples  were  again  within 
and  Thomas  with  them  and  the  doors  were  shut, 
and  Jesus  came  and  stood  among  them. 

'<  Peace  be  unto  you  !  "  he  said. 

"  Reach  your  finger  here  and  see  my  hands," 
he  then  said  to  Thomas,  ''and  reach  your  hand 
here  and  put  it  into  my  side,  and  do  not  become 
faithless  but  believing." 

'*  My  Lord  and  my  God  !  "  exclaimed  Thomas. 

"  Because  you  have  seen  me  have  you  believed, 
Thomas?  Blessed  are  those  who  have  not  seen 
and  yet  have  believed." 

So  many  other  signs  did  Jesus  do  in  the  presence 
of  the  disciples,  which  are  not  written  in  this  book. 
But  these  are  written  so  that  you  may  believe  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and  so  that  be- 
lieving you  may  have  life  in  his  name. 


S.  John  ASCENDING. 

21:  1. 


CONCLUSION. 

After  this  Jesus  showed  himself  again  to  the 
disciples  at  the  sea  of  Tiberias.  He  showed  him- 
self in  this  way.  Simon  Peter  and  Thomas  called 
Didymus  and  Nathaniel  of  Cana  in  Galilee  and  the 
sons  of  Zebedee  and  two  others  of  his  disciples 
were  together. 

''  1  am  going  fishing,"  said  Simon  Peter. 

"  We  also  are  going  with  you,"  they  answered. 

They  went  out,  got  into  the  boat,  and  that  night 
caught  nothing.  But  when  day  was  now  breaking 
Jesus  stood  on  the  beach,  but  the  disciples  did  not 
know  it  was  Jesus. 

'<  Children,"  he  said,  ''  you  have  nothing  to  eat, 
have  you  ?  ' ' 

"No." 

"  Cast  the  net  on  the  right  side  of  the  boat  and 
you  shall  find." 

They  cast  it,  and  now  they  could  not  draw  it  for 
the  great  number  of  fish. 

"It  is  the  Lord,"  said  the  disciple  Jesus  loved 
to  Peter. 

So  when  Simon  Peter  heard  it  was  the  Lord  he 
wrapped  his  coat  about  him,  for  he  was  naked, 
and  threw  himself  into  the  sea.  But  the  other 
disciples  came  in  the  little  boat,  dragging  the  net 


90  THE    WORD  MADE  FLESH.  S.John 

full  of  fish.  For  they  were  not  far  from  the  land, 
but  about  three  hundred  feet.  So  when  they  got 
out  on  the  beach  they  saw  a  charcoal  fire  there,  a 
fish  laid  on  it,  and  a  loaf  of  bread. 

''Bring  some  of  the  fish  you  have  just  caught," 
said  Jesus. 

So  Simon  Peter  went  aboard  and  drew  the  net  to 
land  full  of  big  fish,  a  hundred  and  fifty-three. 
And  for  all  there  were  so  many  the  net  was  not 
torn. 

<'  Come  to  breakfast,"  said  Jesus. 

None  of  the  disciples  dared  ask  him :  Who  are 
you?  For  they  knew  it  was  the  Lord.  So  Jesus 
came,  took  the  loaf,  and  gave  to  them,  and  the 
fish  also. 

This  is  now  the  third  time  Jesus  was  made  known 
to  the  disciples  after  he  had  risen  from  the  dead. 

2. 

So  when  they  had  breakfasted,  Jesus  said  to 
Simon  Peter  : 

"  Simon,  son  of  John,  do  you  love  me  more  than 
these?" 

**  Yes,  Lord,  you  know  I  have  a  personal  affec- 
tion for  you." 

''  Feed  my  lambs." 

''Simon,  son  of  John,"  he  said  to  him  again  the 
second  time,  "  do  you  love  me? " 


S.^JOHN  ASCENDING,  91 

''  Yes,  Lord,  you  know  I  have  a  personal  affec- 
tion for  you." 

'^  Take  care  of  my  sheep." 

^' Simon,  son  of  John,"  he  said  to  him  the  third 
time,  ''  have  you  a  personal  affection  for  me?  " 

''Lord,"  Peter  answered,  for  he  was  grieved 
because  he  said  to  him  the  third  time  :  Have  you 
a  personal  affection  for  me?  ''Lord,  you  know 
everything,  your  own  experience  tells  you  I  have 
a  personal  affection  for  you." 

"Feed  my  little  sheep.  Most  truly  I  tell  you  : 
When  you  were  young,  you  girded  yourself  and 
went  wherever  you  desired.  But  when  you  are 
old,  you  will  stretch  out  your  hands  and  another 
will  gird  you  and  carry  you  where  you  do  not  wish 
to  go." 

"Follow  me,"  he  added,  having  said  what  he 
did  to  intimate  the  nature  of  the  death  by  which 
Peter  was  going  to  honor  God. 

Peter  turned  round  and  saw  the  disciple  Jesus 
loved  following,  who  also  leaned  back  on  his  breast 
at  supper  and  said:  "Lord,  who  is  he  who  is 
betraying  you  ?  " 

"Lord,"  said  Peter  when  he  saw  him,  "and 
what  shall  this  man  do  ?  " 

"  If  I  wish  him  to  stay  till  I  come  what  is  that 
to  you?     You  follow  me." 


92 

So  the  saying  went  out  among  the  brothers 
that  that  disciple  was  not  going  to  die.  Yet  Jesus 
did  not  say  to  him  he  was  not  going  to  die,  but, 
''  If  I  wish  him  to  stay  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to 
you?  " 


3- 

This  is  the  disciple  who  is  witnessing  to  these 
things  and  wrote  them,  and  we  know  his  witness  is 
true. 

There  are  many  other  things  which  Jesus  did ; 
but  if  every  one  of  them  should  be  written,  I  sup- 
pose even  the  world  itself  would  not  contain  the 
books  which  should  be  written.     Amen. 


93 


(Note.) 

Most  of  the  ancient  authorities  omit  S.  John 
7:53-8:11,  while  those  which  contain  it  vary- 
much  from  each  other.  For  this  reason,  and  for 
the  further  reason  that  it  interferes  with  the 
continuity  of  the  passage  where  it  is  found  in 
King  James'  Version,  it  is  given  as  a  separate 
fragment  here : 

The  ivoman  taken  in  adultery. 

Every  man  went  to  his  own  home  :  but  Jesus 
went  to  the  Mount  of  Olives.  And  early  in  the 
morning  he  came  into  the  Temple  and  all  the  people 
came  to  him.  So  he  sat  down  and  was  teaching 
them. 

"Teacher,"  said  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  when 
they  had  brought  a  woman  taken  in  adultery  and 
set  her  among  them,  ''this  woman  was  taken  in 
adultery,  in  the  very  act.  Now  Moses  in  the  Law 
commanded  us  to  stone  such.  But  what  do  you 
say  ? ' ' 

They  said  this  to  put  him  to  the  test  so  that  they 
might  have  a  charge  to  bring  against  him. 

But  Jesus  stooped  down  and  kept  writing  with 
his  finger  on  the  ground  as  though  he  had  not 
heard  them.  So  when  they  kept  asking  him  he 
raised  himself  up  : 


94 


* '  Let  him  who  is  without  sin  among  you  first 
throw  a  stone  at  her." 

He  stooped  down  again  and  went  on  writing  on 
the  ground. 

Those  who  heard  this,  convicted  by  their  own 
consciences,  went  out  one  by  one  from  the  oldest 
to  the  last. 

Jesus  was  left  alone  and  the  woman  standing 
among  them. 

''Woman,"  he  said,  when  he  had  lifted  himself 
up,  and  saw  none  but  her,  ''  where  are  those 
accusers  of  yours  ?     Has  no  one  condemned  you  ?  " 

'*No  one,  Lord." 

"  Nor  do  I  condemn  you.  Go,  and  from  now 
on  keep  sinning  no  longer." 


I  S.  JOHN. 


INTRODUCTION. 
I. 

What  was  from  the  beginning, 
What  we  have  heard, 
What  we  have  seen  with  our  eyes, 
What  we  looked  at  and  our  hands  handled, 
About  the  Word,  the  Life  — 
And  the  Life  was  made  known, 

And  we  have  seen  and  are  witnesses, 
And  tell  to  you  the  Life,  the  eternal, 
Who  was  with  the  Father, 
And  was  made  known  to  us  — 
What  we  have  seen  and  heard  we  tell  you  also, 
So  that  you  also  may  have  a  share  with  us 
Yes,  and  our  share  is  with  the  Father, 
And  with  his  Son  Jesus  Christ. 
And  we  are  writing  these  things, 
So  that  our  happiness  may  be  made  complete. 
97 


98  GOD  IS  LIGHT.  18.  John 

1:  5. 

2, 

And  the  message  we  have  heard  from  him  is  this, 

And  we  announce  it  to  you, 
That  God  is  Hght, 

And  there  is  no  darkness  at  all  in  him. 


If  we  say  we  are  sharers  with  him, 
And  keep  living  in  darkness, 
We  are  liars,  and  do  not  do  what  the  truth  demands. 
But  if  we  keep  living  in  the  light, 
As  he  is  in  the  light, 
We  are  sharers  with  each  other. 
And  the  blood  of  Jesus  his  Son  frees  us 
From  the  guilt  of  every  kind  of  sin. 
If  we  say  we  have  no  sin, 
We  are  leading  ourselves  astray, 
And  the  truth  is  not  in  us. 
If  we  confess  our  sins, 
He  is  faithful  and  good. 
To  put  our  sins  away  for  us. 
And  to  free  us  from  everything  that  is  not  right. 
If  we  say  we  have  not  sinned. 
We  make  him  a  liar,  and  what  he  has  told  us  is  not 
in  us. 


IS.  JOHN  GOD  IS  LIGHT. 

2:  1. 

(God  is  Light.) 


3- 

My  little  children  I  am  writing  these  things  to  you 
so  that  you  may  not  sin.  And  if  any  one  sins  we 
have  a  helper  with  the  Father,  that  is,  Jesus  Christ 
the  good,  and  he  is  a  means  of  appeasing  God  so  as  to 
do  away  with  our  sins,  and  not  so  as  to  do  away  with 
ours  only,  but  also  with  the  sins  of  the  whole  world. 
And  this  is  the  way  we  become  acquainted  with  the 
fact  that  we  are  acquainted  with  him  by  continuing 
to  keep  his  commandments.  He  who  says  :  I  am 
acquainted  with  him,  and  does  not  continue  to 
keep  his  commandments,  is  a  liar,  and  the  truth  is 
not  in  him.  But  whoever  keeps  doing  what  he 
tells  him,  truly  in  him  has  the  love  of  God  been 
perfected.  This  is  the  way  we  become  acquainted 
with  the  fact  that  we  are  in  him  :  He  who  says  he 
is  continuing  in  him  ought  himself  also  to  keep 
living  just  as  he  kept  living.  •     .  -..,  r- 


100 


4- 

Dear  brothers,  it  is  not  a  new  commandment  I 
am  writing  to  you,  but  an  old  commandment  which 
you  had  from  the  beginning.  The  old  command- 
ment is  the  word  which  you  heard.  Again  a  new 
commandment  am  I  writing  to  you,  and  it  is  true 
in  him  and  in  you,  because  the  darkness  is  passing 
away  and  the  true  light  is  already  shining. 

He  who  says  he  is  in  the  light  and  keeps  hating 
his  brother  is  in  the  darkness  to  this  moment.  He 
who  keeps  loving  his  brother  continues  in  the  light 
and  no  occasion  of  stumbling  is  in  him.  He  who 
keeps  hating  his  brother  is  in  the  darkness  and 
keeps  living  in  the  darkness,  and  does  not  know 
where  he  is  going,  because  the  darkness  has  blinded 
his  eyes. 


5. 

I  am  writing  to  you,  little  children. 

Because  your  sins  are  put  away  from  you  for  his 
name's  sake. 
I  am  writing  to  you,  fathers, 

Because  you  have  become  acquainted  with 
him  who  is  from  the  beginning. 
I  am  writing  to  you,  young  men, 

Because  you  have  overcome  the  wicked 
one. 


IS.  JOHN  GOD  IS  LIGHT.  101 

2:  13. 

4  wrote  to  you,  little  children, 

Because  you  have  become  acquainted  with  the 
Father. 
I  wrote  to  you,  fathers. 

Because  you  have  become  acquainted  with 
him  who  is  from  the  beginning. 
I  wrote  to  you,  young  men. 
Because  you  are  strong. 
And  what  God  told  you  continues  in 

you, 
And   you  have  overcome  the  wicked 
one. 

6. 

Do  not  love  the  world 

Nor  the  things  which  are  in  the  world. 
If  any  one  keeps  loving  the  world, 

The  love  of  the  Father  is  not  in  him. 

For  everything  which  is  in  the  world, — 
The  desire  of  the  flesh, 
And  the  desire  of  the  eyes, 
And  this  life's  love  of  display, — 

Is  not  from  the  Father,  but  from  the  world. 

And  the  world  is  passing  away 

And  its  desire. 
But  he  who  keeps  doing  the  will  of  God 

Continues  forever. 


102       WALKING  JN  LIGHT  EXCLUDES.    ^I.-J^hn 


7- 

Little  children,  it  is  the  last  hour,  and  just  as 
you  heard  that  antichrist  is  coming,  even  now 
many  antichrists  have  arisen.  And  from  this  we 
come  to  know  it  is  the  last  hour.  They  went  out 
from  us,  but  they  were  not  of  us.  For  if  they  had 
been  of  us  they  would  have  continued  with  us. 
But  they  went  out  so  that  it  might  be  made  clear 
that  they  are  not  all  of  us.  And  you  have  an 
anointing  from  the  Holy  One,  and  you  know  every- 
thing. I  have  not  written  to  you  because  you  did 
not  know  the  truth,  but  because  you  know  it  and 
because  no  lie  is  of  the  truth. 

Who  is  the  liar,  if  not  he  who  keeps  denying 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ?  This  is  the  antichrist, 
that  is,  he  who  keeps  denying  the  Father  and  the 
Son.  Whoever  keeps  denying  the  Son  has  not  even 
the  Father.  He  who  keeps  confessing  the  Son  has 
the  Father  also.  As  for  you,  let  what  you  heard 
from  the  beginning  continue  in  you.  If  what  you 
heard  from  the  beginning  continues  in  you,  you 
also  will  continue  in  the  Son  and  in  the  Father. 
And  this  is  the  promise  which  he  promised  us,  the 
life  which  is  eternal. 


IS.  JOHN  GOD  IS  LOVE.  103 

2 :  26. 

These  things  have  I  written  to  you  about  those 
who  are  trying  to  lead  you  astray.  And  as  for 
you,  the  anointing  which  you  received  from  him 
continues  in  you  and  you  do  not  need  any  one  to 
teach  you.  But  as  his  anointing  keeps  teaching 
you  about  everything,  so  is  it  true  and  is  no  He. 
And  just  as  it  taught  you,  continue  in  him.  And 
now,  little  children,  continue  in  him,  so  that,  if  he 
shall  be  made  known,  we  may  have  boldness,  and 
not  be  ashamed  before  him  at  his  coming. 


(God  is  Love.) 

If  you  know  he  is  good  you  are  acquainted  with 
the  fact  that  every  one  who  keeps  doing  good  has 
been  begotten  by  him. 

See  what  amazing  love  the  Father  has  bestowed 
on  us  so  that  we  may  be  called  the  children  of  God, 
and  we  are  children.  For  this  reason  the  world  is 
not  acquainted  with  us  because  it  never  became  ac- 
quainted with  him.  Dear  friends,  now  are  we 
children  of  God,  and  it  is  not  yet  made  clear  what 
we  shall  be.  We  know  that  if  it  shall  be  made 
clear,  we  shall  be  like  him.  For  we  shall  see  him 
just  as  he  is.  And  whoever  has  this  hope  set  on 
him  keeps  purifying  himself  just  as  he  is  pure. 


104  EVIDENCE  OF  SONSHIP.         l  S.  John 

3:  4. 

Whoever  keeps  sinning  keeps  acting  lawlessly, 
and  sin  is  lawlessness.  And  we  know  that  he  was 
made  known  so  that  he  might  take  away  our  sins, 
and  in  him  is  no  sin.  Whoever  continues  in  him 
does  not  keep  sinning.  Whoever  keeps  sinning 
has  never  seen  him  nor  become  acquainted  with 
him.  Little  children,  let  no  one  lead  you  astray. 
He  who  keeps  doing  what  is  good  is  good,  just  as 
he  is  good.  He  who  keeps  sinning  is  of  the  devil. 
For  from  the  beginning  the  devil  has  been  sinning 
and  keeps  on  sinning.  It  was  for  this  purpose  the 
Son  of  God  was  made  known,  that  is,  to  undo  the 
works  of  the  devil. 

Whoever  has  been  begotten  by  God  does  not 
keep  sinning,  because  his  seed  continues  in  him, 
and  he  cannot  keep  sinning,  because  he  has  been 
begotten  by  God.  It  is  in  this  way  the  children  of 
God  are  made  known  and  the  children  of  the  devil. 
Whoever  does  not  keep  doing  good  is  not  of  God, 
nor  is  he  who  does  not  keep  loving  his  brother. 
For  the  message  which  you  heard  from  the  begin- 
ning is  this,  that  we  should  love  each  other.  Not 
like  Cain  was  of  the  evil  one  and  killed  his  brother. 
And  why  did  he  kill  him?  Because  his  deeds 
were  evil  and  his  brother's  good. 


IS  JOHN  GOD  IS  LOVE.  105 


2. 

Do  not  wonder,  brothers,  if  the  world  keeps  hat- 
ing you.  We  know  we  have  passed  out  of  death 
into  life,  because  we  love  the  brothers.  He  who 
does  not  love  continues  in  death.  Whoever  is  a 
hater  of  his  brother  is  a  murderer,  and  you  know 
that  no  murderer  has  eternal  life  continuing  in  him. 

It  was  in  this  way  we  came  to  know  love,  be- 
cause he  laid  down  his  life  for  us.  And  we  ought 
to  lay  down  our  lives  for  the  brothers.  But  who- 
ever has  the  world's  goods,  and  sees  his  brother  in 
need,  and  has  no  pity  for  him,  how  does  the  love 
of  God  continue  in  him  ?  Little  children,  let  us 
not  keep  loving  in  word,  nor  with  the  tongue,  but 
in  deed  and  truth. 

In  this  way  we  shall  come  to  know  that  we  are 
of  the  truth,  and  shall  persuade  our  hearts  before 
him.  For  if  our  heart  condemns  us,  it  is  plain 
that  God  is  greater  than  our  heart  and  knows 
everything.  Dear  friends,  if  our  heart  does  not 
condemn  us,  we  have  boldness  towards  God.  And 
whatever  we  ask,  we  receive  from  him,  because  we 
keep  his  commandments  and  do  what  is  pleasing  in 
his  sight.  And  his  commandment  is  this,  that  we 
should  believe  in  the  name  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ 
and  love  each  other,  just  as  he  gave  us  command- 
ment.    And  he  who  keeps  his  commandments  con- 


106  SOURCE  OF  SONSHIP.  l  S.  John 

3:  2-1. 

tiinies  in  him,  and  he  in  him.  And  in  this  way 
we  get  to  know  that  he  is  continuing  in  us,  that  is, 
from  the  Spirit  which  he  gave  us. 

3- 

Dear  brothers,  do  not  beheve  every  spirit,  but 
put  the  spirits  to  the  test  to  see  whether  they  are 
from  God,  because  many  false  prophets  have  gone 
out  into  the  world. 

In  this  way  we' get  to  know  the  Spirit  of  God. 
Every  spirit  w^ho  confesses  that  Jesus  Christ  has 
come  in  the  flesh  is  from  God.  And  every  spirit 
who  does  not  confess  Jesus  is  not  from  God.  And 
this  is  the  spirit  of  the  antichrist  you  heard  is 
coming,  and  it  is  now  already  in  the  world. 

You  are  of  God,  little  children,  and  have  over- 
come them  ;  because  greater  is  he  who  is  in  you 
than  he  who  is  in  the  world.  They  are  from  the 
world.  For  this  reason  they  keep  talking  from  the 
worldly  point  of  view  and  the  world  keeps  listening 
to  them. 

He  who  is  learning  to  know  God  keeps  listening 
to  us, 
He  who  is  not  from  God  does  not  keep  listen- 
ing to  us. 
From  this  we  keep  getting  to  know  the  spirit  of 
truth 
And  the  spirit  of  error. 


IS.  JOHN  GOD  IS  LOVE.  107 

4:  7. 


4- 

Dear  brothers,  let  us  keep  loving  each  other,  be- 
cause love  is  from  God,  and  whoever  keeps  loving 
has  been  begotten  by  God  and  is  becoming  ac- 
quainted with  God.  He  who  does  not  keep  loving 
never  became  acquainted  with  God,  For  God  is 
love.  In  this  was  the  love  of  God  made  clear  in 
us,  because  God  has  sent  his  only  begotten  Son 
into  the  world  so  that  we  might  live  through  him. 
In  this  is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that  he 
loved  us  and  sent  his  Son  to  be  the  means  of  ap- 
peasing him  so  as  to  do  away  with  our  sins. 

Dear  brothers,  if  God  loved  us  in  such  a  way  as 
this,  we  also  ought  to  keep  loving  each  other.  As 
for  God,  no  one  has  ever  yet  looked  at  him.  But 
if  we  keep  loving  each  other,  God  continues  in  us 
and  his  love  is  perfected  in  us.  In  this  way  we  get 
to  know  that  we  are  continuing  in  him  and  he  in 
us,  because  he  has  given  us  some  of  his  spirit.  And 
we  have  looked  at  the  Son  and  bear  witness  to  the 
fact  that  the  Father  has  sent  the  Son  to  be  the 
Saviour  of  the  world.  Whoever  shall  confess  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God,  God  continues  in 
him  and  he  in  God.  And  we  have  come  to  know, 
and  have  believed,  the  love  which  God  has  in  us. 

God  is  love,  and  he  who  continues  in  love  con- 
tinues in  God  and  God  continues  in  him.     In  this 


108  SOURCE   OF  SONSHIP.  ^  S.  John 

4:  17. 

way  is  love  made  perfect  with  us,  so  that  we  may 
have  boldness  in  the  day  of  judgment,  because  just 
as  he  is  so  also  are  we  in  this  world.  There  is  no 
fear  in  love,  but  rather  does  perfect  love  keep  casting 
out  fear,  because  fear  has  punishment.  But  he  who 
keeps  fearing  is  not  made  perfect  in  love.  We 
keep  loving  because  he  first  loved  us.  If  any  one 
says  :  "I  keep  loving  God,"  and  hates  his  brother, 
he  is  a  liar.  For  if  he  does  not  keep  loving  his 
brother  whom  he  has  seen  he  cannot  keep  loving 
God  whom  he  has  not  seen.  And  this  command- 
ment we  have  from  him,  so  that  he  who  keeps  lov- 
ing God  might  love  his  brother  also. 


5- 
Whoever  keeps  believing  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ 
has  been  begotten  by  God,  and  whoever  keeps  lov- 
ing him  who  begot  keeps  loving  him  who  has  been 
begotten  by  him.  In  this  way  we  keep  getting  to 
know  that  we  are  in  love  with  the  children  of  God, 
that  is,  when  we  keep  loving  God  and  are  con- 
stantly keeping  his  commandments.  For  the  love 
of  God  is  this,  that  we  constantly  keep  his  com- 
mandments, and  his  commandments  are  not 
grievous.  For  whatever  has  been  begotten  by  God 
keeps  overcoming  the  world.  And  this  is  the  vic- 
tory which  has  overcome  the  world,  that  is,  our 


IS.  JOHN  CONCLUSION.  109 

5:  5. 

faith.  Yes,  who  is  he  who  keeps  overcoming  the 
world,  if  not  he  who  keeps  beheving  that  Jesus  is 
the  Son  of  God  ? 


6. 

This  is  he  who  came  through  water  and  blood, 
that  is,  Jesus  Christ ;  not  with  the  water  only,  but 
with  the  water  and  with  the  blood.  And  it  is  the 
Spirit  who  is  bearing  witness,  because  the  Spirit  is 
the  Truth.  For  those  who  are  bearing  witness  are 
three,  the  Spirit  and  the  water  and  the  blood,  and 
the  three  are  one.  If  we  keep  receiving  the  wit- 
ness of  men  the  witness  of  God  is  greater.  For 
the  witness  of  God  is  this,  that  he  has  borne  wit- 
ness about  his  Son.  He  who  keeps  believing  in  the 
Son  of  God  keeps  having  the  witness  in  himself. 
He  who  does  not  keep  believing  God,  has  made  him 
a  liar,  because  he  has  not  believed  in  the  witness 
which  God  has  borne  about  his  Son.  And  the  wit- 
ness is  this,  that  God  gave  to  us  eternal  life,  and 
this  life  is  in  his  Son.  He  who  has  the  Son  has  the 
life.  He  who  does  not  have  the  Son  does  not  have 
the  life.  I  have  written  these  things  to  you  so  that 
you  might  know  you  have  eternal  life,  that  is,  to 
you  who  keep  believing  in  the  name  of  the  Son  of 
God. 


110  FINAL  INJUNCTION.  lfJ?HN 

o:  14. 

7- 
And  the  boldness  which  we  have  towards  him  is 
this,  that  if  we  keep  asking  anything  according  to 
his  will,  he  keeps  listening  to  us.  And  if  we  know 
he  is  listening  to  us,  whatever  we  are  asking,  we 
know  we  have  the  petitions  which  we  have  asked 
from  him.  If  any  one  sees  his  brother  committing 
a  sin  which  does  not  lead  to  death,  he  will  ask  and 
God  will  give  him  life  for  those  who  are  committing 
sin  which  does  not  lead  to  death.  There  is  sin 
which  leads  to  death.  Not  about  that  am  I  saying 
he  should  pray.  All  want  of  goodness  is  sin,  and 
there  is  sin  which  does  not  lead  to  death. 

CONCLUSION. 

We  know  that  no  one  who  has  been  begotten  by 
God  keeps  committing  sin,  but  he  who  was  begot- 
ten by  God  keeps  him  ;  and  the  wicked  one  does 
not  get  a  permanent  hold  of  him. 

We  know  we  are  of  God  and  the  whole  world  is 
lying  in  the  evil  one. 

And  we  know  the  Son  of  God  has  come  and  has 
given  us  understanding  so  that  we  may  become  ac- 
quainted with  him  who  is  true.  And  we  are  in  him 
who  is  true,  that  is,  in  his  Son  Jesus  Christ. 

This  is  the  true  God  and  eternal  life.  Little 
children  keep  yourselves  on  your  guard  against 
idols. 


II  S.  JOHN. 


The  Elder 
To  the  chosen  lady  and  her  children 
Whom  I  truly  love, 

And  not  I  only, 
But  also  all  those 
Who  have  come  to  know  the  truth  ; 
For  the  sake  of  the  truth  continuing  in  us, 

And  with  us  it  will  be  forever. 
Favor,  mercy,  and  peace,  shall  be  with  us 

From  God  the  Father, 
And  from  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  the  Father, 
In  truth  and  love. 
I   rejoice  greatly  because  I  have  found  some  of 
your  children  going   about   in  truth  just  as  we  re- 
ceived commandment  from  the  Father.     And  now 
I  beg  you,  lady,  not  as  though  I  wrote  a  new  com- 
mandment to  you,  but  what  we  had  from  the  be- 
ginning, that  we  keep  loving  each  other.     And  the 
love  is  this,  that  we  keep  living  in  harmony  with 
his  commandments.     The  commandment  is  this, 
113 


114  WARNINGS.  2  S.  John 

6. 

just  as  you  heard  from  the  beginning,  that  you 
should  Hve  in  it.  For  many  deceivers  have  gone 
out  into  the  world,  and  they  are  not  confessing  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  coming  in  the  flesh.  This  is  the  de- 
ceiver and  the  antichrist.  See  to  yourselves,  that  you 
do  not  lose  what  we  have  done,  but  that  you  re- 
ceive a  full  reward.  Whoever  goes  on  and  does 
not  continue  in  the  teaching  of  Christ,  does  not 
have  God.  He  who  continues  in  the  teaching,  this 
man  has  the  Father  and  the  Son.  If  any  one  is 
coming  to  you  and  is  not  bringing  this  teaching,  do 
not  receive  him  into  your  house  and  do  not  bid 
him,  Godspeed.  For  he  who  bids  him.  God- 
speed, is  sharing  in  his  evil  deeds. 

Having  many  things  to  write  to  you  I  do  not 
wish  to  write  with  paper  and  ink,  but  I  hope  to 
come  to  you,  and  to  talk  with  you  face  to  face  so 
that  your  happiness  may  be  made  complete. 

The  children  of  your  chosen  sister  send  you  their 
best  wishes. 


Ill  S.  JOHN. 


The  Elder 
To  dear  Gaius, 
Whom  I  love  in  truth. 

Dear  brother,  I  pray  that  you  may  be  prosperous 
in  everything  and  be  in  good  health,  just  as  your 
soul  is  prospering.  For  I  rejoiced  greatly  when 
brothers  were  coming  and  bearing  witness  to  your 
truth,  just  as  you  keep  living  in  truth.  I  have 
no  greater  joy  than  this,  to  hear  of  my  children 
living  in  the  truth. 

Dear  brother,  you  are  doing  a  faithful  thing  in 
whatever  you  are  doing  towards  the  brothers  and 
the  strangers.  And  they  bore  witness  to  your  love 
before  the  Church.  And  you  will  do  well  to  for- 
ward them  on  their  journey  worthily  of  God.  For, 
for  the  sake  of  the  name,  they  went  out  taking 
nothing  from  the  heathen.  So  we  ought  to  sup- 
port such  so  that  we  may  become  their  fellow- 
workers  for  the  truth. 

117 


118  THE  3I0BAL.  3 S.John 

I  wrote  something  to  the  Church.  But  Dio- 
trephes,  who  is  striving  to  be  the  first  among  them, 
does  not  receive  us.  For  this  reason,  if  I  come,  I 
will  bring  to  remembrance  his  deeds  which  he  is 
doing,  prating  against  us  with  evil  words.  And 
not  content  with  this,  he  is  neither  receiving  the 
brothers  himself,  and  those  who  have  a  desire  todo 
it  he  is  hindering,  and  is  casting  them  out  of  the 
Church. 

Dear  brother,  do  not  imitate  the  base  but  the 
good.  He  who  keeps  doing  good  is  from  God. 
He  who  keeps  doing  base  things  has  not  seen  God. 
Demetrius  has  the  witness  of  all  men,  and  of  the 
truth  itself.  Yes,  we  also  bear  witness,  and  you 
know  our  witness  is  true. 

I  have  many  things  to  write  to  you,  but  I  do  not 
care  to  write  them  to  you  with  pen  and  ink.  But  I 
hope  to  see  you  at  once  and  we  shall  talk  face  to 
face. 

Peace  be  with  you. 

The  friends  send  you  their  best  wishes. 

Give  our  best  wishes  to  the  friends  by  name. 


REVELATION. 


(Title.) 

The  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ, 

Which  God  gave  him  to  show  to  his  slaves, 
What  must  shortly  happen. 

And  he  made  it  known. 

By  sending  his  angel, 
To  his  slave  John, 
Who  was  a  witness  to  what  God  said, 

And  of  the  testimony  which  Jesus  Christ 
gave. 
And  of  everything  he  saw. 

Blessed  is  he  who  keeps  reading. 

And  those  who  keep  hearing  the  sayings  of 

the  prophecy, 
And  constantly  keep  what  is  written  in  it. 
For  the  time  is  near. 

121 


122  DEDICATION.  Rev. 

1:  4. 

John, 
To  the  Seven  Churches  which  are  in  Asia, 

May  favor  be  yours  and  peace, 
From  The  Present  and  The  Past  and  The  Coming 
One, 
And   from  the  Seven  Spirits  who  are  before  his 

throne. 
And  from  Jesus  Christ, 
The  Faithful  Witness, 
The  First-born  of  the  dead. 
And  The  Ruler  of  the  kings  of  the  earth, 
To  him  who  loves  us,  and  loosed  us  from  our  sins 
by  his  blood. 
And  he  made  us  to  be  a  kingdom. 
Priests  to  his  God  and  Father, — 
To  him  be  the  majesty  and  the  dominion  forever. 
Amen. 

Lo,  he  is  coming  with  the  clouds ; 
And  every  eye  will  see  him, 
And  those  who  pierced  him  ; 
And  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  will  mourn  at  sight 
of  him. 
Yes,  Amen. 

I  am  Alpha  and  Omega, 

Says  the  Lord,  the  God, 

The  Present  and  The  Past  and  The  Coming  One, 
The  All-Ruler. 


REV.  INTRODUCTION.  123 

1:9. 

I,  John,  your  brother  and  fellow-sharer 

In  the  tribulation  and  kingdom  and  endurance 
in  Jesus, 
Was  in  the  island  called  Patmos, 

On  account  of  God's  message  and  the  witness 
of  Jesus. 
I  was   under   the   influence   of  the    Spirit  on  the 
Lord's  day, 
And    heard    behind   me   a   loud   voice   like   a 
trumpet,  saying : 
**  Write  what  you  see  in  a  book, 

And  send  to  the  Seven  Churches. 
To  Ephesus,  and  to  Smyrna,  and  to  Pergamum, 
And  to  Thyatira,  and  to  Sardis,  and  to  Phila- 
delphia, 
And  to  Laodicea." 


And  I  turned  to  see  who  was  talking  with  me, 

And  when  I  had  turned, 
I  saw  Seven  Gold  Lampstands 

And  among  the  Lampstands, 
One  like  the  Son  of  Man, 

Clothed  with  a  garment  down  to  his  feet, 

And  girt  about  at  the  breasts  with  a  gold  girdle. 
His  head  and  his  hair  were  white, 

Like  white  wool,  like  snow, 


124  INTRODUCTION.  Kev. 

And  his  eyes  like  a  flame  of  fire, 
And  his  feet  hke  burnished  brass, 

As  if  it  had  been  refined  in  a  furnace, 
And  his  voice  like  the  voice  of  many  waters. 
And  he  had  in  his  right  hand  Seven  Stars, 
And   out   of  his   mouth   was  a   sharp   two-edged 

sword  going, 
And  his  face  was  like  the  sun  shining  in  its  strength. 

And  when  I  saw  him  I  fell  at  his  feet 

Like  a  dead  man. 
And  he  laid  his  right  hand  on  me, 

And  said : 
''Do  not  be  afraid. 

I   am    The   First   and  The  Last  and  The  Living 
One,— 
I  became  a  dead  man, 
And,  lo,  I  am  living  forever  and  ever,— 
And  have  the  keys  of  Death  and  of  Hades. 
So  write  what  you  saw,  what  is. 

And  what  is  going  to  happen  after  this. 
The  secret  truth  of  the  Seven  Stars  which  you  saw 
in  my  right  hand, 
And  the  Seven  Gold  Lampstands. 
The    Seven    Stars    are  the    Angels   of   the   Seven 
Churches, 
And    the    Seven    Lampstands    are    the    Seven 
Churches. 


REV.  LETTERS  TO   THE  CHURCHES.  125 

To  the  Angel  of  the  Church  in  Ephesus  write  : 


This  is  what  he  is  saying, 

Who  is  holding  the  Seven  Stars  in  his  right 
hand, 

Who  is  walking  among  the  Seven  Gold  Lamp- 
stands  : 

I  know  your  works  and  your  toil  and  endurance, 

And  that  you  cannot  bear  evil  men, 

And  put  to  the  test  those  who  say  they  them- 
selves are  Apostles, 

And  they  are  not,  and  you  found  them  false ; 

And  you  have  endurance, 

And  did  bear  for  my  name's  sake, 

And  did  not  become  weary. 
But  I  have  this  against  you. 

That  you  forsook  your  first  love. 

So  remember  from  what  you  have  fallen, 

And  change  your  mind  and  the  purpose  of  your 
heart, 

And  do  the  first  deeds. 

For  if  you  do  not,  I  am  going  to  come  to  you. 

And    will    move    your   Lampstand    out   of    its 
place. 
But  this  you  have,  that  you  hate  the  deeds  of  the 
Nicolaitans, 

Which  I  also  hate. 


126  INTRODUCTION,  R^v. 

He  who  has  an  ear,  let  him  hear 

What  the  Spirit  is  saying  to  the  Churches. 

To  him  who  keeps  overcoming, 

To  him  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  Tree  of  Life, 
Which  is  in  the  Paradise  of  God. 


Rev.  letters  TO   THE  CHURCHES.  127 

2:  8. 

And  to  the  Angel  of  the  Church  in  Smyrna  write  : 

This  is  what  he  is  saying, 

Who  is  The  First  and  The  Last, 

Who  became  a  dead  man  and  came  to  life  again. 

I  know  your  tribulation  and  your  poverty, 

But  you  are  rich. 

And  the  blasphemy  of  those  who  say  they  them- 
selves are  Jews, 

And  they  are  not. 

But  are  a  synagogue  of  Satan. 
Do  not  be  afraid  of  what  you  are  going  to  suffer. 

Listen  !  the  Devil  is  going  to  throw  some  of  you 
into  prison, 

So  that  you  may  be  put  to  the  test. 

And  you  will  have  tribulation  ten  days. 
Be  faithful  to  death 

And  I  will  give  you  the  Crown  of  Life. 

He  who  has  an  ear,  let  him  hear 

What  the  Spirit  is  saying  to  the  Churches, 

He  who  keeps  overcoming 

Will  never  be  hurt  at  all  by  the  second  death. 


128  INTRODUCTION.  Rev 

2:  12. 

To  the  Angel  of  the  Church  in  Pergamum  write  : 

This  is  what  he  is  saying, 

Who  has  the  sharp  two-edged  sword  : 

I  know  where  you  are  living, 

Where  Satan's  throne  is, 

And  you  are  holding  fast  to  my  name, 

And  you  did  not  deny  my  faith. 

Even  in  the  days  of  Antipas, 

My  witness,  my  faithful  one, 

Who  was  killed  among  you. 

Where  Satan  is  living. 
But  I  have  a  few  things  against  you. 

Because  you  have  some  there 

Who  are  holding  the  teaching  of  Balaam, 

Who  kept  teaching  Balak  to  throw  a  stumbling- 
stone 

Before  the  children  of  Israel, 

To  eat  things  sacrificed  to  idols, 

And  to  commit  fornication. 

So  you  also  have  some 

Who  are  holding  the  teaching  of  the  Nicolaitans 
likewise,  * 


REV.  LETTEES   TO   THE   CHURCHES.  129 

2:  16. 

So   change   your   mind    and  the  purpose  of  your 
heart. 
For  if  you  do  not, 
I  am  going  to  come  to  you  quickly, 
And  I  will  make  war  against  them 
With  the  sword  of  my  mouth. 

He  who  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear 

What  the  Spirit  is  saying  to  the  Churches. 

To  him  who  keeps  overcoming, 

To  him  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden  manna. 

And  I  will  give  him  a  white  stone, 
And  on  the  stone  a  new  name  written, 

Which  none  but  he  who  takes  it  knows. 


130  INTRODUCTION.  Rev. 

2:  18. 

To  the  Angel  of  the  Church  in  Thyatira  write : 


This  is  what  the  Son  of  God  is  saying, 
Who  has  his  eyes  Uke  a  flame  of  fire, 
And  his  feet  are  like  burnished  brass : 


I  know  your  deeds  and  your  love, 

And  faith  and  ministry  and  endurance. 
And  that  your  last  deeds  are  more  than  the  first. 
But  I  have  this  against  you. 

That  you  suffer  the  woman  Jezebel, 
Who  calls  herself  a  prophetess ; 
And  she  teaches  and  seduces  my  slaves 
To  commit  fornication, 
And  to  eat  things  sacrificed  to  idols. 
And  I  gave  her  time  to  reform, 
And  she  does  not  wish  to  reform. 
Look  !  I  am  throwing  her  into  a  bed. 
And  those  who  are  committing  adultery  with  her 
Into  great  tribulation. 
If  they  do  not  reform. 
And  her  children  will  I  kill  with  death ; 
And  all  the  Churches  will  become  acquainted 

with  the  fact 
That  I  am  he  who  searches  reins  and  hearts, 
And  I  will  give  to  each  one  of  you 
According  to  your  deeds. 


Rev.  letters   TO   THE   CHURCHES.  131 

2:  24. 

But  to  you  I  say, 

To  the  rest  who  are  in  Thyatira, 

As  many  as  have  not  this  teaching, 

Who  did  not  become  acquainted  with  the  depths 

of  Satan,  as  they  say, 
I  throw  on  you  no  other  burden. 
But  what  you  have  hold  fast  till  I  come. 

And  he  who  keeps  overcoming, 

And  he  who  keeps  my  words  to  the  end. 

To  him  will  I  give  authority  over  the  nations, 
And  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron, 

Like  earthenware  is  broken  to  pieces : 
Like  I  also  have  taken  from  my  Father. 

And  I  will  give  him  the  Morning  Star. 

He  who  has  an  ear,  let  him  hear 

What  the  Spirit  is  saying  to  the  Churches. 


132  INTRODUCTION.  Rev. 

And  to  the  Angel  of  the  Church  in  Sardis  write: 


This  is  what  he  is  saying, 

Who  has  the  Seven  Spirits  of  God, 
And  the  Seven  Stars. 


I  know  your  deeds, 

That  you  have  a  name  that  you  are  living, 

And  you  are  a  dead  corpse. 
Become  watchful    and    strengthen    the    remaining 
things, 

Which  are  about  to  die. 

For  I  have  not  found  any  of  your  deeds  accom- 
plished 

Before  my  God. 

So  remember  how  you  have  received, 

And  did  hear, 

And  keep  it  and  reform. 

So  if  you  shall  not  watch, 

I  will  come  as  a  thief, 

And  you  shall  not  get  to  know  at  all 

What  hour  I  will  come  on  you. 
But  you  have  a  few  in  Sardis 

Who  did  not  defile  their  clothes. 

And  they  shall  walk  with  me  in  white, 

For  they  are  worthy. 


Rev.  letters  TO   THE  CHURCHES.  133 

o  '■,  5. 

He  who  keeps  overcoming 

Shall  thus  be  clothed  in  white  clothes, 

And  I  will  never  blot  his  name  out  of  the 
Book  of  Life, 
And  I  will  confess  his  name  before  my  Father, 
And  before  his  angels. 

He  who  has  an  ear,  let  him  hear 

What  the  Spirit  is  saying  to  the  Churches. 


134  INTRODUCTION,  Kev. 

And  to  the  Angel  of  the  Church  in  Philadelphia 
write : 

This  is  vvhat  he  is  saying, 
Who  is  holy,  who  is  true, 

Who  has  the  Key  of  David, 
Who  opens,  and  no  one  shall  shut, 

Who  shuts,  and  no  one  opens. 

I  know  your  deeds,- 

Look,  I  have  set  before  you  an  open  door, 

Which  no  one  can  shut, — 

That  you  have  little  strength. 

And  yet  you  kept  my  word, 

And  did  not  deny  my  name. 

Look  !    I  am  giving  some  of  the  synagogue  of 

Satan, 
Of  those  who  are  saying  they  themselves  are 

Jews, 
And  they  are  not,  but  are  lying ; 
Look  !    I  will   make   them   come  and   worship 

before  your  feet, 
And  get  to  know  that  I  have  loved  you. 


Rev.  letters   TO   THE   CHURCHES.  135 

Because  you  kept  the  word  of  my  endurance, 
I  also  will  keep  you  from  the  hour  of  trial 
Which  is  going  to  come  on  the  whole  world 
To  put  to  the  test  those  who  are  living  on  the 
earth. 

I  am  coming  quickly. 
Hold  fast  what  you  have 
So  that  no  one  may  take  your  Crown. 

He  who  keeps  overcoming, 
I  will  make  him  a  pillar  in  the  Temple  of  my 
God, 
And  he  shall  never  go  out  any  more. 
And  I  will  write  on  him  the  Name  of  my  God, 
And  the  Name  of  the  City  of  my  God,  the 

New  Jerusalem, — 
She  who  is  coming  down  out  of  heaven  from 
my  God, — 
And  my  own  New  Name. 

He  who  has  an  ear,  let  him  hear 

What  the  Spirit  is  saying  to  the  Churches. 


136  INTRODUCTION.  Bbv. 

3:  14. 

And    to    the    Angel    of   the  Church  in  Laodicea 
write : 

This  is  what  the  Amen  is  saying, 
The  Faithful  and  True  Witness, 
The  Beginning  of  the  creation  of  God. 

I  know  your  works. 

That  you  are  neither  cold  nor  hot. 

And  so  because  you  are  lukewarm, 

And  neither  hot  nor  cold, 

I  am  going  to  spue  you  out  of  my  mouth, 

Because  you  are  saying,  I  am  rich, 

And  have  gotten  riches,  and  have  need  of 
nothing. 

And  you  do  not  know  you  are  the  wretched  one, 

And  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind,  and  naked. 
I  advise  you  to  buy  of  me  gold  refined  by  fire. 

So  that  you  may  become  rich ; 

And  white  garments. 

So  that  you  may  clothe  yourself, 

And  so  that  the  shame  of  your  nakedness  may 
not  appear ; 

And  eye-salve  to  anoint  your  eyes, 

So  that  you  may  see. 


Rev.  LErrERS   TO    THE   CHURCHES.  137 

As  many  as  I  love,  I  reprove  and  chasten. 
So  be  zealous,  and  reform. 
Look  !   I  am  standing  at  the  door  knocking. 
If  any  one  hears  my  voice  and  opens  the  door, 
I  shall  come  in  to  him  and  sup  with  him, 
And  he  with  me. 

He  who  keeps  overcoming, 

I  will  give  to  him  to  sit  down  with  me  in  my 
throne, 
As  I  also  overcame, 

And  sat  down  with  my  Father  in  his  throne. 

He  who  has  an  ear,  let  him  hear 

What  the  Spirit  is  saying  to  the  Churches. 


138  »EV. 

4:  1. 


VISION  IN  HEAVEN. 
(  The  Throne  of  God.) 

After  this  I  saw, 

And  lo,  a  door  opened  in  heaven, 

And  the  first  voice  which  I  heard 

Was  hke  that  of  a  trumpet  talking  with  me, 

And  saying: 
**  Come  up  here  and  I  will  show  you 

What  must  happen  after  this." 
After  this  I  was  at  once  under  the  influence  of  the 
Spirit, 

And,  lo,  there  was  a  Throne  set  in  heaven. 

And  One  sitting  on  it, 

And  he  who  was  sitting  on  it  was,  to  look  at, 
Like  a  jasper  stone  and  a  sardius. 

And  there  was  a  rainbow  round  the  Throne, 
Whose  appearance  was  like  an  emerald. 


Rev.  139 

4:  4. 

And  round  the  Throne  were  twenty-four  thrones, 
And  on  the  thrones  I  saw  twenty- four  Elders 
sitting, 
Dressed  in  white  clothes, 
And  on  their  heads  crowns  of  gold. 
And  out  of  the  throne  were  going  lightnings, 

And  voices  and  thunders. 
And  seven  lamps  of  fire  were  burning  before  the 
throne. 
And  these  are  the  Seven  Spirits  of  God  : 
And  before  the  Throne, 

As  it  were  a  glassy  sea  like  crystal ; 
And  in  the  middle  of  the  Throne  and  around 
the  Throne, 
Four  Living  Creatures  full  of  eyes  before  and 
behind. 
And  the  first  Creature  was  like  a  lion, 
And  the  second  Creature  like  a  calf, 
And  the  third  Creature  had  a  face  like  a 

man. 
And  the  fourth  Creature  was  like  a  flying 
eagle. 
And  the  four  Living  Creatures, 

Each  of  which  had  six  wings. 
Were  full  of  eyes  all  around,  and  within, 
And  they  had  no  rest  day  and  night, 
Saying : 


140  Rev. 

4:  8. 

"  Holy,  holy,  holy, 
Lord,  the  God,  the  All-Ruler, 
The  Past,  and  The  Present,  and  The  Coming  One." 

And  when  the  Living  Creatures  gave  praise  and 
honor  and  thanks. 

To  him  who  was  sitting  on  the  throne, 

To  him  who  lives  forever  and  ever. 
The  twenty-four  Elders  kept  falling  down  before 
him 

Who  was  sitting  on  the  Throne, 
And  kept  worshipping  him 

Who  lives  forever  and  ever. 
And  kept  throwing  their  crowns  before  the  Throne, 

Saying : 

*'  Worthy  art  thou,  our  Lord  and  our  God, 
To  take  praise  and  honor  and  the  power. 
For  thou  didst  create  everything, 

And  because  of  thy  will  they  were,  and 
were  created," 


Ebv.  141 

5:1. 


(The  Book  of  Seals.) 

And  I  saw  on  the  right  hand  of  him 

Who  was  sitting  on  the  Throne 
A  Book  written  within  and  on  the  back, 

Close  sealed  with  Seven  Seals. 
And  I  saw  a  strong  Angel 

Proclaiming  in  a  loud  voice : 
***  Who  is  worthy  to  open  the  book, 

And  to  undo  its  Seals  ?  " 
And  no  one  in  heaven,  or  on  the  earth, 

Or  under  the  earth, 
Was  able  to  open  the  book, 

Or  to  look  at  it. 
And  one  of  the  Elders  said  to  me : 
''  Do  not  weep. 
Look  !   the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 

The  Root  of  David, 
Has  overcome  to  open  the  Book, 

And  its  seven  Seals." 


142  Rev. 

5:6. 


( The  Lamb  in  the  Middle  of  the  Throne. ) 

And  I  saw  in  the  middle  of  the  Throne 

And  of  the  four  Living  Creatures, 

And  among  the  Elders, 
A  Lamb  standing  as  if  it  had  been  slain, 

With  seven  horns  and  seven  eyes, 

Which  are  the  Seven  Spirits  of  God, 

Sent  out  into  all  the  world. 
And  he  came  and  took  the  Book 

Out  of  the  right  hand  of  him 

Who  was  sitting  on  the  Throne. 
And  when  he  took  the  Book 

The  four  Living  Creatures 

And  the  twenty-four  Elders 
Fell  down  before  the  Lamb, 

Each  with  a  harp, 

And  a  gold  bowl  full  of  incense, 

Which  are  the  prayers  of  the  saints. 
And  they  sang  a  new  song, 

Saying ; 


Rev.  143 

5:9. 

'<  Worthy  art  thou  to  take  the  Book, 

And  to  open  its  Seals. 
For  thou  wast  slain, 
And  didst  purchase  to  God 

With  thy  blood, 
Men  out  of  every  tribe,  and  tongue. 

And  people,  and  nation. 
And  madest  them  to  our  God 

A  kingdom  and  priests,^ 
And  they  are  reigning  on  the  earth." 

And  I  saw  and  I  heard  a  sound  of  many  Angels 
Round   the  Throne,   and  the  Living   Creatures 
and  the  Elders. 

And  the  number  of  them 

Was  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand, 
And  thousands  of  thousands. 

And  they  kept  saying  in  a  loud  voice : 

''Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  hath  been  slain 
To  take  the  power, 
And  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  might, 
And  honor,  and  majesty,  and  blessing." 

And  every  created  thing 

Which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth, 
And  under  the  earth,  and  on  the  sea, 
And  everything  which  is  in  them, 

I  heard  saying : 


144  Rev. 

5:  13. 

*'To  him  who  is  sitting  on  the  Throne, 

And  to  the  Lamb,  • 
Be  the  blessing,  and  the  honor, 
And  the  majesty,  and  the  dominion, 

Forever  and  ever." 

And  the  four  Living  Creatures  said  : 
''Amen." 

And  the  Elders  fell  down  and  worshipped. 


Rev.  145 

6:  1. 


The  Powers  of  Judgment. 
(  Captivity.) 

And   I  saw  when   the  Lamb  opened  one  of  the 

Seven  Seals. 
And    I    heard  one  of  the  four  Living  Creatures, 

saying, 
As  if  in  a  voice  of  thunder : 
''Come." 
And  I  saw,  and,  io,  a  White  Horse, 
And  he  who  was  sitting  on  him  had  a  bow, 
And  a  crown  was  given  to  him, 
And  he  came  out  conquering  and  to  conquer. 

(War.) 

And  when  he  opened  the  Second  Seal, 

I  heard  the  second  Living  Creature,  saying : 
"Come." 

And  another,  a  Red  Horse,  came  out, 

And  to  him  who  was  sitting  on  him 

Was  given  power  to  take  peace  from  the  earth. 
And  so  that  they  should  kill  each  other, 
And  a  big  sword  was  given  to  him. 


(Famine.) 

And  when  he  opened  the  Third  Seal, 

1  heard  the  third  Living  Creature,  saying : 

"Come." 
And  I  saw,  and,  lo,  a  Black  Horse, 
And  he  who  was  sitting  on  him  had  scales  in  his 

hand. 
And  I  heard  as  it  were  a  voice 

Among  the  four  Living  Creatures,  saying : 
''  A  quart  of  wheat  for  a  dollar, 

And  three  quarts  of  barley  for  a  dollar, 

And  see  that  you  do  not  hurt  the  oil  and  the 
wine." 

(Death.) 

And  when  he  opened  the  Fourth  Seal, 
I  heard  the  voice  of  the  fourth  Living  Creature, 
saying, 

*'Come." 
And  I  saw,  and  lo,  a  Pale  Horse, 
And  the  name  of  him  who  was  sitting  on  him 

Was  Death. 
And  Hades  was  following  with  him, 
And  they  were  given  authority 

Over  the  fourth  of  the  earth, 

To  kill  with  sword,  and  with  famine, 

And  with  death, 

And  by  the  wild  beasts  of  the  earth. 


RB1r.  147 

6:9. 

(The  Waiting  Martyrs.) 

And  when  he  opened  the  Fifth  Seal, 
I  saw  under  the  Altar 
The  souls  of  those  who  had  been  slain 

On  account  of  God's  message, 

And  the  witness  which  they  held. 
And  they  cried  in  a  loud  voice,  saying : 
"  How  long,  O  Master,  the  Holy,  and  True, 

Dost  thou  not  judge,  and  avenge  our  blood 
On  those  who  are  living  on  the  earth  ?  " 
And  there  was  given  to  each  of  them  a  white  robe. 
And  they  were  told  to  rest  yet  a  little  while, 

Till  their  fellow-slaves,  also,  and  their  brothers, 
Who  are  going  to  be  killed  as  they  were, 

Shall  have  finished  their  course. 


(Opening  of  Day  of  Wrath.) 

And  I  saw  when  he  opened  the  Sixth  Seal, 
And  a  great  shaking  took  place  ; 

And  the  sun  became  black  as  pitch, 

And  the  whole  moon  became  like  blood, 

And  the  stars  of  heaven  fell  to  the  earth. 
Like  a  fig  tree  casting  its  unripe  figs. 
When  it  is  shaken  by  a  high  wind. 

And  the  heaven  was  removed  like  a  scroll 
When  it  is  rolled  up. 


"8  f:Y4: 

And  every  mountain  and  island 

Was  moved  out  of  its  place. 
And  the  kings  of  the  earth, ' 
And  the  princes  and  the  colonels, 
And  the  rich  and  the  strong, 
And  every  slave  and  freeman, 

Hid  themselves  in  the  caves 

And  the  rocks  of  the  mountains. 
And  they  kept  saying  to  the  mountains 

And  to  the  rocks  : 
"  Fall  on  us, 

And  hide  us 

From  the  face  of  him  who  is  sitting  on  the  Throne, 

And  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb. 
For  their  wrath  has  come. 

And  who  is  able  to  stand  it?  " 


REV.  149 


Proem  to  the  Seven  Trumpets.      Part  i. 
(Judgment  Restrained.) 

After  this  I  saw  Four  Angels 

Standing  at  the  four  corners  of  the  earth, 

Holding  the  four  winds  of  the  earth, 

So  that  no  wind  might  blow  on  the  earth, 

Or  on  the  sea,  or  on  any  tree. 
And  I  saw  another  Angel 

Ascend  from  the  east, 

With  the  Seal  of  the  Living  God. 
And  he  cried  in  a  loud  voice  to  the  Four  Angels, 

To  whom  it  was  given  to  hurt  the  earth, 

And  the  sea,  saying : 
"  Do  not  hurt  the  earth,  nor  the  sea,  nor  the  trees, 

Till  we  have  sealed  the  slaves  of  our  God  in  their 
foreheads." 
And  I  heard  the  number  of  those  who  were  sealed, 

A  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand, 
Sealed  out  of  every  tribe  of  the  children  of  Israel, 


150  Rev. 

7!  5-. 

Of  the  tribe  of  Judah  were  sealed  twelve  thousand  : 
Of  tlie  tribe  of  Reuben  twelve  thousand  : 
Of  the  tribe  of  Gad  twelve  thousand  : 
Of  the  tribe  of  Asher  twelve  thousand  : 
Of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali  twelve  thousand  : 
Of  the  tribe  of  Manassah  twelve  thousand  : 
Of  the  tribe  of  Simeon  twelve  thousand  : 
Of  the  tribe  of  Levi  twelve  thousand  : 
Of  the  tribe  of  Issachar  twelve  thousand  : 
Of  the  tribe  of  Zebulun  twelve  thousand  : 
Of  the  tribe  of  Joseph  twelve  thousand  : 

Of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  were  sealed  twelve  thou- 
sand. 

After  this  I  saw,  and  lo,  a  great  throng, 

Which  no  one  could  count 

Out  of  every  nation, 

And  out  of  all  tribes  and  peoples  and  tongues, 

Standing    before    the    Throne   and    before   the 
Lamb, 

Dressed  in  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands. 

And  they  kept  crying  in  a  loud  voice. 
Saying : 

''  Salvation  to  our  God 

Who  is  sitting  on  the  Throne, 
And  to  the  Lamb." 


Rev.  151 

7:  11. 

And  all  the  Angels  were  standing  round  the  Throne, 
And  the  Elders  and  the  four  Living  Creatures, 

And  they  fell  on  their  faces  before  the  Throne, 
And  worshipped  God,  saying  : 

'^  Amen. 
The  blessing  and  the  majesty  and  the  wisdom, 

And  the  thanksgiving. 

And  the  honor,  and  the  power,  and  the  might, 

Be  unto  our  God 

Forever  and  ever, 

Amen." 

And  one  of  the  elders  answered 

And  said  to  me  : 
''  These  who  are  clothed  in  the  white  robes, 

Who  are  they  and  where  did  they  come  from?  " 
And  I  said  to  him  : 

''My  dear  sir,  you  know." 
And  he  said  to  me  : 

"These  are  those  who  are  coming  out  of  the 
great  tribulation. 
And  they  washed  their  robes 
And  made  them   white  in  the  blood  of  the 

Lamb. 
So  they  are  before  the  throne  of  God, 
And  they  are  serving  him  day  and  night  in  his 
Temple. 


152  Rev. 

7:15. 

And  he  who  is  sitting  on  the  Throne 

Will  spread  his  tent  over  them. 
They   will    hunger   no    more,    nor  thirst  any 

more, 
Nor  will  the  sun  strike  on  them,  nor  any  heat. 
For  the  Lamb  who  is  in  the  middle  of  the 
Throne 
Will  be  their  shepherd, 
And  will  guide  them  to  springs  of  living 
waters. 
And  God  will  wipe  away  every  tear  from  their 
eyes. 


Proem  to  the  Seven  Trumpets.      Part  2. 
(Silence  of  Expectation.) 
And  when  he  opened  the  Seventh  Seal, 
There  came  a  silence  for  half  an  hour. 

And  I  saw  the  Seven  Angels  who  stand  before  God, 
And  they  were  given  Seven  Trumpets. 

And  another  Angel  came, 

And  stood  at  the  Altar  holding  a  gold  Censer ; 
And  he  was  given  a  great  deal  of  incense 

To  add  it  to  the  prayers  of  all  the  devoted  ones 
On  the  gold  Altar 
Which  was  before  the  Throne. 


REV.  153 

And  the  smoke  of  the  incense, 

With  tb.e  prayers  of  the  saints, 

Went  up  before  God 

Out  the  Angel's  hands. 

And  the  Angel  took  the  Censer 

And  mixed  it  with  the  fire 

From  the  Altar, 
And  threw  it  to  the  earth. 
And  there  followed  thunders  and  voices, 
And  lightnings 

And  an  earthquake. 


The  Seven  Trumpets. 
And  the  Seven  Angels 

Who  had  the  Seven  Trumpets 
Got  ready  to  blow. 


(Fire  and  Blood.) 
And  the  First  blew, 

And   there   followed    hail   and   fire  mixed  with 
blood, 
And  they  were  thrown  to  the  earth. 
And  the  third  part  of  the  earth  was  burnt  up, 
And  tlie  third  part  of  the  trees  was  burnt  up, 
And  all  green  grass  was  burnt  up. 


154  «■?- 

(The  Burning  Mountain.) 
And  the  Second  Angel  blew, 

And  as  it  were  a  great  mountain  burning  with 
fire, 
Was  thrown  into  the  sea. 
And  the  tiiird  part  of  the  sea  became  blood, 
And  the  third  part  of  the  creatures 
Which  were  in  the  sea  and  had  life  died. 

And  the  third  part  of  the  ships  were  destroyed. 


(The  Burning  Star.) 

And  the  Third  Angel  blew, 

And  there  fell  from  heaven  a  great  star 
Burning  like  a  torch. 
And  it  fell  on  the  third  part  of  the  rivers, 
And  on  the  fountains  of  the  Waters, 

And  the  name  of  the  star  is  called  Wormwood  : 
And  the  third  part  of  the  Waters  became  worm- 
wood 
And  many  men  died  of  the  waters, 
Because  they  were  made  bitter. 


(Sun,  Moon  and  Stars  Smitten.) 

And  the  Fourth  Angel  blew, 
And  the  third  part  of  the  sun  was  smitten. 
And  the  third  part  of  the  moon, 
And  the  third  part  of  the  stars, 
So  that  the  third  part  of  them  should  be  darkened, 
And  the  day  should  not  shine  for  the  third  part 
of  it, 
And  the  night  in  the  same  way. 


Rev.  155 

8:  13. 

Interlude. 
And  I  saw, 

And  1  heard  an  Eagle  flying  in  mid-heaven, 
Saying  in  a  loud  voice  : 

*<  Woe,  woe,  woe, 
For  those  who  are  living  on  the  earth, 
Because  of  the  blasts  of  the  Trumpet 

Of  the  three  Angels  who  are  yet  to  blow." 


(The  Pit  of  the  Abyss.) 
And  the  Fifth  Angel  blew  his  trumpet : 

And  I  saw  a  star  from  heaven  fallen  on  the  earth  : 

And  he  was  given  the  key  of  the  pit  of  the  abyss. 
And  he  opened  the  pit  of  the  abyss. 
And  there  went  up  a  smoke  out  of  the  pit. 
Like  the  smoke  of  a  great  furnace. 
And  the  sun  and  the  air  were  darkened 
Because  of  the  smoke  of  the  pit. 
And  out  of  the  smoke  came  locusts  to  the  earth. 

And  they  were  given  authority. 

Like  the  scorpions  of  the  earth  have  authority. 

And  they  were  told  not  to  hurt  the  grass  of  the 
earth, 

Nor  any  green  thing,  nor  any  tree. 
But  only  such  men, 

As  have  not  the  seal  of  God  on  their  foreheads. 


156  Rev. 

9:  5. 

And  they  were  not  given  authority  to  kill  them, 
But  to  torture  them  five  months. 
And  the  torture  inflicted  by  them 
Was  hke  the  torture  of  a  scorpion, 
When  it  strikes  a  man  : 
And  in  those  days  men  will  seek  death, 

And  will  in  no  way  find  it. 
And  they  will  desire  to  die, 

And  death  will  keep  fleeing  from  them. 
And  the  shapes  of  the  locusts. 

Were  like  horses  prepared  for  war. 
And  on  their  heads  they  had 

As  it  were  crowns  like  gold. 
And  their  faces  were  like  men's  faces. 
And  they  had  hair  like  the  hair  of  women, 
And  their  teeth  were  Hke  the  teeth  of  lions. 
And    they  had   breastplates  like  breastplates  of 

iron, 
And  the  sound  of  their  wings 

Was  like  the  sound  of  chariots  of  many  horses 
rushing  to  war. 
And  they  have  tails  like  scorpions,  and  stings ; 
And  in  their  tails  is  their  power  to  hurt  men  five 

months. 
They  have  over  them  a  King, — 

The  Angel  of  the  Abyss, — 
His  name  in  Hebrew  is  Abaddon, 

And  in  the  Greek  he  has  the  name  Apollyon. 


Rev.  157 

9:  12. 

The  one  Woe  has  passed. 
Look  !  two  more  woes  are  coming  after  it. 


(The  Four  Angels  Loosed.) 

And  the  Sixth  Angel  blew, 

And  I  heard  a  voice  from  the  horns  of  the  gold 
Altar 

Which  is  before  God, 
Saying  to  the  Sixth  Angel 

Who  had  the  Trumpet : 
*' Loose  the  four  angels 

Which  are  bound  at  the  Great  River  Euphrates." 
And  the  four  angels  were  loosed 

Who  had  been  prepared  for  the  hour  and  day 

And  month  and  year, 
So  that  they  should  kill  the  third  part  of  men. 
And  the  number  of  the  armies  of  the  cavalry 

Was  twice  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand. 
I  heard  the  number  of  them. 
And  thus  I  saw  the  horses  in  the  vision, 

And  those  who  were  sitting  on  them. 
With  fiery-red  breastplates, 

And  smoky  blue  and  sulphurous  yellow ; 
And  the  heads  of  the  horses 

Were  like  the  heads  of  lions ; 
And  out  of  their  mouths 

Was  going  fire  and  smoke  and  sulphur. 


158  RKV. 

By  these  three  plagues 

Was  the  third  part  of  men  killed, 
By  the  fire  and  the  smoke  and  the  sulphur, 

Which  was  going  out  of  their  mouths. 
For  the  power  of  the  horses  is  in  their  mouth, 

And  in  their  tails, 
For  their  tails  were  like  serpents, 

And  had  heads ; 
And  with  them  they  kept  doing  harm. 

And  the  rest  of  mankind, 

Who  were  not  killed  with  these  plagues, 
Did  not  change  their  mind  nor  the  purpose  of  their 
heart 

Concerning  the  works  of  their  hands, 
So  that  they  should  not  worship  demons, 

And  the  idols  of  gold  and  of  silver  and  of  brass 

And  of  stone  and  of  wood. 

Which  can  neither  see  nor  hear  nor  walk : 
And  they  did  not   change   their  mind  nor  the  pur- 
pose of  their  heart 

Concerning  their  murders,  nor  their  sorceries, 

Nor  their  fornication,  nor  their  thefts. 


fo!l-  15» 


Proem  Before  Seventh  Trumpet.     Part  i  . 
(John's  New  Inspiration.) 
And  I  saw  another  Angel,  a  strong  one, 

Coming  down  out  of  heaven, 

Clothed  with  a  cloud. 

And  the  rainbow  was  on  his  head, 

And  his  face  was  like  the  sun, 

And  his  feet  like  pillars  of  fire. 
And  he  had  in  his  hand  a  Little  Book  opened. 

And  he  set  his  right  foot  on  the  sea, 

And  his  left  on  the  earth, 
And  he  cried  in  a  loud  voice, 

Like  a  lion  roars. 
And  when  he  cried. 

The  Seven  Thunders  spoke  with  their  own  Voices. 
And  when  the  Seven  Thunders  spoke, 

I  was  on  the  point  of  writing. 
And  I  heard  a  Voice  from  heaven. 

Saying : 
"  Seal  up  what  the  Seven  Thunders  said, 

And  do  not  write  it." 


160  Kev. 

10:  f). 

And  the  Angel  whom  I  saw  standing  on  the  sea, 

And  on  the  earth, 
Lifted  up  his  right  hand  to  heaven, 
And  sware  by  him  who  lives  forever  and  ever, 

Who  created  heaven  and  what  is  in  it, 

And  the  earth  and  what  is  in  it. 

And  the  sea  and  what  is  in  it. 
That  there  should  be  delay  no  longer  : 
But  in  the  days  of  the  Voice  of  the  Seventh  Angel, 

When  he  is  on  the  point  of  blowing, 
The  secret  truth  of  God  should  be  accomplished, 

As  he  told    the   Good   News  to  his  slaves  the 
Prophets. 


And  the  Voice  which  I  heard  from  heaven, 

I  heard  again  talking  with  me  and  saying  : 
"  Go,  take  the  book  which  is  open  in  the  hand  of 
the  Angel, 

Who  is  standing  on  the  sea, 

And  on  the  land." 
And  I  went  to  the  Angel, 

And  told  him  to  give  me  the  Little  Book. 
And  he  said  to  me  : 
"Take  it. 

And  eat  it  up ; 
And  it  will  make  your  belly  bitter. 

But  in  your  mouth  it  will  be  sweet  as  honey." 


Rev.  101 

10:  10. 

And  I  took  the  Little  Book  out  of  the  Angel's  hand, 

And  ate  it  up ; 

And  it  was  in  my  mouth  sweet  as  honey  ; 
And  when  I  had  eaten  it  my  belly  was  made  bitter. 

And  they  said  to  me  : 
''  You  must  prophesy  again  over  many  peoples, 

And  nations,  and  tongues,  and  kings." 


Proem  before  Seventh  Trumpet.     Part  2. 

(The  Holy  City  During  Heathen  Prophecy  of  the 
War  Against  God.) 

And  I  was  given  a  Reed  like  a  rod. 

And  some  one  said  : 
"  Rise  and  measure  the  Sanctuary  of  God, 

And  the  Altar, 

And  those  worshipping  in  it, 

And  the  court  which  is  outside  the  Sanctuary 

Throw  it  outside,  and  do  not  measure  it. 

For  it  has  been  given  to  the  nations  ; 

And  the  Holy  City  will  they  tread  under  foot 

Forty- two  months. 
And  I  shall  give  authority  to  my  Two  Witnesses, 

And  they  will  prophesy  twelve  hundred  and  sixty 
days, 

Clothed  in  sackcloth." 


162  Rev. 

11:4. 

These  are  the  two  olive  trees  and  the  two  lamp- 
stands, 

Standing  before  the  Lord  of  the  earth. 
And  if  any  one  wishes  to  hurt  them, 

Fire  goes  out  of  their  mouth. 

And  devours  their  enemies. 
And  if  any  one  shall  desire  to  hurt  them, 

He  must  be  killed  in  this  way. 
These  have  authority  to  shut  heaven 

So  that  no  rain  may  fall 

During  the  days  of  their  prophecy : 
And  they  have  authority  over  the  waters 

To  turn  them  into  blood, 

And  to  smite  the  earth  with  every  plague 

As  often  as  they  shall  desire. 
And  when  they  shall  have  finished  their  witness, 

The  beast  who  is  coming  up  out  of  the  Abyss 

Will  make  war  with  them. 

And  overcome  them  and  kill  them. 
And  their  dead  bodies  lie  in  the  street  of  the  great 
City, 

Which  spiritually  is  called  Sodom  and  Egypt, 

Where  also  their  Lord  was  crucified. 
And  from  among  the  peoples  and  tribes  and  tongues 
and  nations, 

Will  men  keep  looking  on  their  dead  bodies, 

Three  days  and  a  half. 

And  will  not  allow  their  dead  bodies 

To  be  laid  in  a  tomb. 


Rev.  163 

11:  10. 

And  those  who  are  living  on  the  earth 

Will  keep  rejoicing  over  them, 

And  making  merry ; 
And  they  will  send  gifts  to  each  other  ; 

Because  these  two  prophets  tormented 

Those  who  were  living  on  the  earth. 
And  after  three  days  and  a  half, 

The  breath  of  life  from  God  entered  into  them 

And  they  stood  on  their  feet ; 
And  those  who  were  looking  at  them 

Became  very  much  frightened. 
And  they  heard  a  great  voice  from  heaven, 

Saying  to  them ; 
*'  Come  up  here." 
And  they  went  up  to  heaven  in  a  cloud; 

And  their  enemies  looked  at  them. 
And  in  that  hour  there  was  a  great  earthquake ; 

And  the  tenth  part  of  the  city  fell ; 
And  seven  thousand  people  were  killed  in  the  earth- 
quake ; 

And  the  rest  were  frightened, 

And  honored  the  God  of  heaven. 

The  second  Woe  has  passed  : 

Look  !  the  third  Woe  is  coming  quickly. 


164  Rkv. 

11:16. 

The  Seventh  Trumpet. 
(Prelude.) 
And  the  Seventh  Angel  blew, 

And  there  followed  loud  voices  in  heaven, 
And  they  said  : 

•'  The  Kingdom  of  the  world 
Has  become  our  Lord's  and  his  Christ's, 
And  he  will  reign  forever  and  ever." 

And  the  twenty-four  Elders 

Who  were  sitting  before  God  on  their  thrones. 
Fell  on  their  faces  and  worshipped  God, 

Saying  : 

''  We  thank  thee,  O  Lord, 

The  God,  the  All-Ruler, 

The  Present  and  the  Past, 
Because  thou  hast  taken  thy  great  power 

And  didst  reign. 
And  the  nations  were  angry, 

And  thy  wrath  came, 

And  the  time  of  the  dead  to  be  judged. 

And  to  give  their  reward  to  thy  slaves  the 
Prophets, 

And  to  thy  devoted  ones. 

And  to  those  who  fear  thy  name. 

The  small  and  the  great. 

And   to  destroy  those  who  are   destroying 
the  earth." 


Rev.  165 

11:  19. 

The   Kingdom   of   the   World   Becoming   the 
Kingdom  of  Christ. 

And  the  Sanctuary  of  God  was  opened  in  heaven 
And  the  ark  of  his  agreement  was   seen  in  his 
sanctuary : 
And  there  were  hghtnings  and  voices, 

And  thunders,   and  an    earthquake,  and   great 
hail. 

(The  Woman  and  the  Red  Dragon.) 
And  a  great  sign  was  seen  in  heaven  ; 
A  woman  clothed  with  the  sun, 
And  the  moon  under  her  feet, 
And  on  her  head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars ; 
And  she  was  with  child  : 
And  she  kept  crying  out, 
Laboring  in  birth,  and  in  pain  to  be  delivered. 

And  another  sign  was  seen  in  heaven  ; 
And  look  !  a  great  Red  Dragon, 
With  seven  heads  and  ten  horns, 
And  seven  diadems  on  his  heads. 
And  his  tail  kept  sweeping  the  third  part  of  the 

stars  of  the  heaven 
And  throwing  them  to  the  earth. 
And    the    Dragon    kept    standing    before    the 
Woman 
Who  was  about  to  be  delivered. 
So  that  when  she  was  delivered. 
He  might  devour  her  Child, 


166  Rev. 

12:  5. 

And  she  was  delivered  of  a  Son, 

A  Boy, 
Who  is  to  rule  all  the  nations 

With  a  rod  of  iron  : 
And  her  Child  was  caught  up  to  God, 

And  to  his  Throne. 

And  the  Woman  fled  into  the  wilderness, 
Where  she  had  a  place  prepared  by  God. 

So  that  they  might  nourish  her  there 
Twelve  hundred  and  sixty  days. 


(War  in  Heaven.) 
And  a  war  began  in  heaven. 

Michael  and  his  angels  began  a  war  with  the 
Dragon. 
And  the  Dragon  warred  and  his  angels ; 

And  their  strength  failed  them, 
And  there  was  not  even  a  place  found  for  them  any 
more 

In  heaven. 
And  the  great  Dragon  was  thrown  down, — 

The  Serpent,  the  old  fellow, 

He  who  is  called  ''Devil  "  and  ''Satan," 

The  deceiver  of  the  whole  world, — 
He  was  thrown  down  to  the  earth, 

And  his  angels  were  thrown  down  with  him. 


Rev.  167 

12:  10. 

And  I  heard  a  loud  voice  in  heaven, 
Saying : 

''Now  has  come  the  salvation,  and  the  power, 
And  the  kingdom  of  our  God,  and  the  authority 
of  his  Christ. 
For  the  accuser  of  our  brethren  is  thrown  down, 
He  who  keeps  accusing  them  before  our  God  day 
and  night. 
And  they  overcame  him 

Because  of  the  blood  of  the  Lamb, 
And  because  of  the  message  of  their  witness  ; 
And   they  carried   the  temper  of  not  loving  their 
life  even  to  death. 

So  rejoice,  O  heavens. 

And  you  who  are  living  in  them. 

Woe  for  the  earth  and  the  sea  : 

Because  the  devil  has  gone  down  to  you, 

With  great  wrath, 
Because  he  knows  that  he  has  but  a  short  time." 


(Temptation  on  Earth.) 
And  when  the  Dragon  saw 

He  was  thrown  to  the  earth. 
He  kept  persecuting  the  Woman 

Who  bore  the  Boy. 


168  R«v. 

12:  U- 

And  the  Woman  was  given  the  two  wings 

Of  the  Great  Eagle, 
So  that  she  might  fly  into  the  wilderness 

To  her  place, 

Where  she  was  being  nourished  for  a  time 

And  times  and  half  a  time, 
From  the  face  of  the  Serpent. 

And  the  Serpent  threw  out  of  his  mouth, 

After  the  Woman,  water. 
To  cause  her  to  be  carried  away 

By  the  stream. 
And  the  earth  helped  the  Woman, 

And  the  earth  opened  its  mouth 
And  swallowed  up  the  river 

Which  the  Dragon  threw  out  of  its  mouth. 
And  the  Dragon  became  angry  with  the  Woman, 

And  went  away  to  make  war  with  the  rest  of  her 
descendants. 
Who  keep  the  commandments  of  God, 

And  hold  the  witness  of  Jesus  : 
And  he  stood  on  the  sand  of  the  sea. 

(The  Wildbeast  out  of  the  Sea.) 
And  I  saw  a  AA'ildbeast  coming  up  out  of  the  sea, 
With  ten  horns  and  seven  heads. 
And  on  his  horns  ten  diadems, 
And  on  his  heads  names  of  blasphemy. 


Kbv.  169 

13:2. 

And  the  Wildbeast  which  I  saw- 
Was  Hke  a  leopard, 

And  his  feet  were  Hke  the  feet  of  a  bear, 

And  his  mouth  Hke  the  mouth  of  a  Hon. 
And  the  Dragon  gave  him  his  power, 

And  his  throne,  and  great  authority, 
And  I  saw  one  of  his  heads 

As  if  it  had  been  slain  to  death  ; 

And  his  death -stroke  was  cured. 
And   the  whole   earth   wondered   after  the  Wild- 
beast  ; 

And  they  worshijjped  the  Dragon, 

Because  he  gave  his  authority  to  the  Wildbeast. 
And  they  worshipped  the  Wildbeast, 

And  said  : 
'*  Who  is  like  the  Wildbeast  ? 

And  who  can  war  with  him?  " 
And  he  was  given  a  mouth  speaking  great  things, 

And  blasphemies ; 
And  he  was  given  authority 

To  continue  forty-two  months. 
And  he  opened  his  mouth 

For  blasphemies  against  God, 

To  blaspheme  his  name  and  his  tent, — 

Those  who  tent  in  heaven. 
And  he  was  given  authority 

To  make  war  with  Christ's  devoted  ones, 

And  to  overcome  them. 


170  Rrv. 

13:7. 

And  he  was  given  authority  over  every  tribe, 

And  people  and  tongue  and  nation. 
And  all  wlio  are  living  on  the  earth 

Will  worship  him, 
Every  one  whose  name  has  not  been  written 

In  the  Book  of  Life  of  the  Lamb 

Who  has  been  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world. 

If  any  one  has  an  ear,  let  him  hear. 
If  any  one  leads  into  captivity, 

Into  captivity  he  is  going. 
If  any  one  shall  kill  with  the  sword, 
With  the  sword  must  he  be  killed. 
Here  is  the  endurance  and  faith  of  Christ's  devoted 
ones. 


(The  Wildbeast  out  of  the  Earth.) 

And  I  saw  another  Wildbeast  coming  up  out  of  the 
earth. 

And  he  had  two  horns  like  a  lamb, 

And  he  kept  talking  like  a  dragon. 
And  he  was  exercising  all  the  authority 

Of  the  first  Wildbeast  in  his  sight. 
And  he  was  making  the  earth,  and  those  living  in  it, 

Worship  the  first  Wildbeast, 

Whose  death-stroke  was  cured, 


Rev.  171 

13: 13. 

And  he  kept  doing  great  signs, 

So   that   he  even  made  fire  come  down  out  of 
heaven, 

On  the  earth  in  the  sight  of  men. 
And  he  kept  deceiving  those  living  on  the  earth 

Because  of  the  signs  it  was  given  him  to  do 

In  the  sight  of  the  Wildbeast ; 
And  he  told  those  living  on  the  earth 

To  make  an  image  to  the  Wildbeast 

Who  had  the  stroke  of  the  sword  and  lived. 
And  he  was  given  authority  to  give  breath 

To  the  Image  of  the  Wildbeast 
So  that  the  Image  of  the  Wildbeast  should  both  talk, 

And  cause  as  many  as  should  not  worship  the 
Image  of  the  Wildbeast  to  be  killed. 
And  he  caused  all,  the  small  and  the  great, 

And  the  rich  and  the  poor, 

And  the  free  and  the  slaves. 
To  be  given  a  mark  on  their  right  hand, 

Or  on  their  forehead  ; 
And  so  that  no  one  should  be  able  to  buy  or  to  sell, 

But  he  who  had  the  mark. 

The  name  of  the  Wildbeast, 

Or  the  Number  of  his  name. 

Here  is  wisdom. 

He  who  has  understanding, 

Let  him  count  the  number  of  the  Wildbeast ; 
For  its  computation  is  by  an  ordinary  human 
method, 
And  its  number  is  six  hundred  and  sixty-six. 


172  Rev. 

14:1. 

(The  Lamb  and  his  Body-Guard.) 
And  I  saw  and  lo,  the  Lamb  standing  on  Mount 
Zion, 
And  with  him  a  hundred  and  forty-four  thou- 
sand, 
With  his  Name  and  the  Name  of  his  Father, 
Written  on  their  foreheads. 
And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven, 
Like  the  voice  of  many  waters. 
And  like  the  voice  of  loud  thunder : 
And  the  voice  which  I  heard 

Was  like  the  voice  of  harpers  playing  on  their 
harps : 
And   they  sang  as  it  were  a  new  song  before  the 
Throne, 
And  before  the  four  Living  Creatures  and  the 
Elders : 
And  no  one  could  learn  the  song 

But  the  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand. 
Who  had  been  purchased  out  of  the  earth. 
These  are  they  who  are  not  defiled  with  women, 

For  they  are  virgins. 
These  are  they  who  keep  following  the  Lamb, 

Wherever  he  goes. 
These  were  bought  from  among  men 

To  be  the  first-fruits  to  God  and  the  Lamb, 
And  in  their  mouth  was  found  no  lie. 
They  are  without  blemish. 


And  I  saw  another  Angel  flying  in  mid-heaven, 
With  eternal  Good  News  to  proclaim 
To  those  who  are  living  on  the  earth, 
And  to  every  nation  and  tribe, 
And  language  and  people, 

And  he  said  in  a  loud  voice : 

"  Fear  God  and  do  him  honor, 

For  the  hour  of  his  judgment  has  come. 
And  worship  him  who  made  heaven  and  the  earth, 
And  the  sea  and  the  spring  of  waters." 

And  another,  a  second,  followed, 
Saying : 

'*  She  fell  !     She  fell !     Babylon  the  great  ! 
She  who  made  all  the  nations  drink 
The  inflaming  wine  of  her  fornication." 


(Salvation.) 

And  another  Angel,  a  third,  followed  them, 

Saying  in  a  loud  voice : 
"  If  any  one  worships  the  Wildbeast  and  its  Image, 

And  receives  a  mark  on  his  forehead, 

Or  on  his  hand. 
He  also  will  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God, 

Which  has  been  prepared  unmixed 

In  the  cup  of  his  anger. 


174  Rev. 

14:10. 

And  he  will  be  tormented  with  fire  and  sulphur, 

In  the  presence  of  the  holy  Angels, 

And  in  the  presence  of  the  Lamb. 
And  the  smoke  of  their  torture  keeps  going  up 

Forever  and  ever. 
And  they  have  no  rest  day  and  night. 

They  who  worship  the  Wildbeast  and  its  Image, 

And  whoever  receives  the  mark  of  its  name." 

Here  is  the  endurance  of  the  devoted  ones, — 
Those  who  continually  keep  the  commandments 

of  God, 
And  the  faith  of  Jesus. 

And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven, 
Saying:    ''Write: 

Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord, 

From  this  moment. 

Yes,  says  the  Spirit, 

In  the  fact  that  they  shall  rest  from  their  labors. 
For  their  deeds  are  following  with  them." 

And  I  saw  and  lo,  a  white  cloud. 
And  on  the  cloud  I  saw  some  one 

Like  the  Son  of  Man  sitting. 
And  he  had  on  his  head  a  gold  crown, 

And  in  his  hand  a  sharp  sickle. 


Rev.  175 

14:  15. 

And  another  Angel  came  out  of  the  Sanctuary, 

Crying  in  a  loud  voice 

To  him  who  was  sitting  on  the  cloud  : 
"  Send  out  your  sickle  and  reap. 

For  the  hour  to  reap  has  come. 

For  the  harvest  of  the  earth  is  over-ripe." 
And  he  who  was  sitting  on  the  cloud 

Threw  his  sickle  to  the  earth, 

And  the  earth  was  reaped. 

And  another  Angel  came  out  of  the  Sanctuary 

Which  is  in  heaven. 
He  also  had  a  sharp  sickle. 

And  another  Angel  came  out  of  the  Altar, 

He  who  has  authority  over  the  fire. 
And  he  called  in  a  loud  voice 

To  him  who  had  the  sharp  sickle, 

And  said : 
"  Send  out  your  sharp  sickle, 

And  gather  the  clusters  of  the  vine  of  the  earth. 

For  her  grapes  are  fully  ripe." 
And  the  Angel  threw  his  sickle  to  the  earth. 

And  gathered  the  vintage  of  the  earth, 

And  threw  it  into  the  winepress, 

The  great  winepress  of  the  wrath  of  God. 
And  the  winepress  was  trodden  outside  the  city. 

And  blood  came  out  of  the  winepress. 

To  the  bridles  of  the  horses. 

For  sixteen  hundred  furlongs. 


176  Rev- 

15:1. 


The  Seven  Angels  of  the  Bowls. 

Three  Acts. 
(Prelude  to  the  Whole.) 

And  I  saw  another  sign  in  heaven, 

Great  and  wonderful, 
Seven  Angels  with  Seven  Plagues, 

Which  are  the  last. 
For  in  them  is  finished  the  wrath  of  God. 


(Choral  Song  of  Victors.) 

And  I  saw  as  it  were  a  glassy  sea 

Mingled  with  fire. 
And  those  who  came  conquering 

From  the  Wild  beast, 

And  from  its  Image, 

And  from  the  number  of  its  name, 
Standing  by  the  glassy  sea, 

With  harps  of  God. 
And  they  kept  singing  the  song  of  Moses  the  slave 
of  God, 

And  the  song  of  the  Lamb, 

Saying  : 


Rev.  177 

15:  3. 

''Great  and  wonderful  are  thy  works, 

Lord  God,  the  All-Ruler, 
Good  and  true  are  thy  ways, 

Thou  King  of  the  ages. 
Who  shall  not  fear,  O  Lord, 

And  magnify  thy  name  ? 
For  thou  only  art  holy. 
For  all  the  nations  will  come  and  worship 

before  thee. 
For  thy  good  deeds  are  made  known." 


After  this  I  saw 

And  the  Sanctuary  of  the  Tent  of  the  Witness 
in  heaven 

Was  opened. 
And  there  came  out  of  the  Sanctuary 

The  Seven  Angels  who  had  the  Seven  Plagues, 

Clothed  with  linen  pure  and  bright 

And  girded  about  their  breasts  with  gold  girdles. 
And  one  of  the  four  Living  Creatures 

Gave  to  the  Seven  Angels  Seven  Gold  Bowls 

Full  of  the  wrath  of  God 

Who  is  living  forever  and  ever. 
And  the  Sanctuary  was  filled  with  smoke, 

From  the  splendor  of  God, 

And  from  his  power. 


And  no  one  could  go  into  the  Sanctuary 

Till  the  Seven  Plagues  of  the  Seven  Angels 

Should  be  finished. 
And  I  heard  a  loud  voice  out  of  the  Sanctuary 

Saying  to  the  Seven  Angels  : 
''  Go  and  pour  out  the  Seven  Bowls 

Of  the  wrath  of  God  on  the  earth." 

(First  Bowl — Judgment  Above.) 

And  the  first  went  and  poured  out  his  Bowl 

On  the  earth. 
And  it  became  a  bad  and  painful  sore 

On  the  men  who  had  the  mark  of  the  Wildbeast, 

And  who  worshipped  its  Image. 

(Second  Bowl.) 

And  the  second  poured  out  his  Bowl 

Into  the  sea. 
And  it  became  blood  like  a  dead  man's  ; 

And  every  living  thing  in  the  sea  died. 

(Third  Bowl.) 

And  the  third  poured  out  his  Bowl 

Into  the  rivers  and  the  springs  of  the  waters, 
And  it  became  blood. 

And  I  heard  the  Angel  of  the  waters, 
Saying : 


Rev.  179 

16:5. 

**  Good  art  thou, 
The  Present  and  the  Past, — 

The  Holy  one, 
Because  thou  didst  thus  judge. 
For  they  poured  out  the  blood  of  devoted  ones, 

And  Prophets, 
And  blood  hast  thou  given  them  to  drink. 

They  are  worthy." 

And  I  heard  the  Altar  saying  : 
"  Yes,  Lord  God, 
The  All-Ruler, 
True  and  good  are  thy  judgments." 


(Fourth  Bowl.) 

And  the  fourth  poured  out  his  Bowl 

On  the  sun 
And  it  was  given  authority  to  scorch  men  with  fire. 

And  men  were  scorched  with  great  heat. 
And  they  blasphemed  the  name  of  the  God 

Who  has  the  authority  over  these  plagues. 
And  they  did  not  reform 

And  do  him  honor. 


^°"  16:  10. 

(Fifth  Bowl — Judgment  Beneath.) 

And  the  fifth  poured  out  his  Bowl 
On  the  throne  of  the  Wildbeast, 
And  its  kingdom  was  darkened  ; 
And  they  gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain, 
And  they  blasphemed  the  God  of  heaven, 
Because  of  their  pains  and  their  sores. 

And  they  did  not  reform  from  their  deeds. 


(Sixth  Bowl — Judgment  at  Euphrates.) 

And  the  sixth  poured  out  of  his  Bowl 
On  the  great  river,  the  Euphrates ; 

And  its  water  was  dried  up 

So  that  the  way  might  be  made  ready 

For  the  kings  who  are  coming  from  the  east. 

And  I  saw  coming  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Dragon, 
And  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Wildbeast, 
And  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  False  Prophet, 

Three  unclean  spirits  like  frogs. 

For  they  are  spirits  of  demons,  doing  signs. 

And    they  keep  going    out    to  the  kings  of  the 

whole  world, 
To  gather  them  together  to  the  war 
Of  the  great  Day  of  God,  the  All-Ruler. 


Rev.  181 

16:  15. 

(Voice  of  Christ.) 
'*Lo,  I  am  coming  like  a  thief. 
Blessed  is  he  who  continues  to  watch, 

And  keeps  his  clothes, 
Lest  he  goes  about  naked, 
And  they  see  his  shame." 

And  they  gathered  them  together  into  the  place 
Called  in  Hebrew,  Har-magedon. 


(The  Seventh  Bowl—Prelude  to  First  Act.) 

And  the  seventh  poured  out  his  Bowl 

On  the  air, 
And  a  loud  voice  came  out  of  the  Sanctuary 

From  the  Throne,  saying  : 
"It  is  done." 
And  there  were  lightnings  and  voices 

And  thunders. 
And  there  was  a  great  earthquake 

Such  as  was  not 

Since  there  were  men  on  the  earth, 
So  great  an  earthquake,  so  mighty. 
And  the  Great  City  was  divided  into  three  parts, 

And  the  cities  of  the  nations  fell. 
And  Babylon  the  Great  was  remembered 

In  the  sight  of  God, 


To  give  her  the  cup 

Of  the  wine  of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath. 
And  every  island  fled  away, 

And  the  mountains  were  not  found, 
And  great  hail, 

Every  stone  about  a  hundred  pounds  weight, 
Kept  coming  down  out  of  heaven  on  men. 
And  men  blasphemed  God, 

Because  of  the  plague  of  hail. 
For  its  plague  was  very  great. 


First  Act.     Overthrow  of  Babylon. 
(Secret  Truth  About  Babylon.) 

And  one  of  the  Seven  Angels 

Who  had  the  Seven  Bowls, 
Came  and  talked  with  me, 

And  said  : 
''  Here! 
I  will  show  you  the  judgment  of  the  great  prostitute. 

Who  is  sitting  on  many  waters, 
With  whom  the  kings  of  the  earth 

Committed  fornication. 
And  they  who  were  living  on  the  earth 

Were  made  drunk  with  the  wine  of  her  fornica- 
tion." 


llEv.  183 

17:  3. 

And  he  carried  me  away  in  the  spirit 

Into  a  wilderness. 
And  1  saw  a  woman  sitting  on  a  scarlet  Wildbeast, 

Full  of  names  of  blasphemy, 

With  seven  heads  and  ten  horns. 
And  the  woman  was  clothed  in  purple  and  scarlet, 

And  decked  with  gold  and  precious  stone 

And  pearls. 
And  she  had  in  her  hand  a  gold  cup 

Full  of  abominations, 

That  is,  the  unclean  things  of  her  fornication, 
And  on  her  head  a  name  written, — 


Secret  Truth, 

Babylon  the  Great, 

The  Mother  of  the  Prostitutes, 

And  of  the  Abominations  of  the  Earth. 

And  I  saw  the  woman 

Drunk  with  the  blood  of  Christ's  devoted  ones, 

And  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus. 
And  when  I  saw  her, 

I  wondered  greatly. 
And  the  Angel  said  to  me : 
**  Why  did  you  wonder? 

I  will  tell  you  the  secret  truth  about  the  woman, 


184  Rev. 

17:  7. 

And  about  the  Wildbeast  which  was  carrying  her, 

Which  has  the  seven  heads  and  the  ten  horns. 
And  those  who  are  living  on  the  earth  will  wonder, — 

Those  whose  name  has  not  been  written  in  the 
book  of  life, 

From  the  foundation  of  the  world, — 
When  they  look  at  the  beast. 

How  he  was,  and  is  not,  and  shall  come. 

Here  is  the  mind  which  has  wisdom. 

The  seven  heads  are  seven  mountains, 

On  which  the  woman  is  sitting. 
And  they  are  seven  kings. 

The  five  have  fallen,  the  one  is. 

The  other  has  not  yet  come. 
And  when  he  comes. 

He  must  continue  a  little  while. 
And  the  Wildbeast  which  was,  and  is  not. 

Is  itself  also  an  eighth,  and  is  of  the  seven ; 

And  he  is  going  into  destruction. 
And  the  ten  horns  which  you  saw  are  ten  kings, 

Which  have  received  no  kingdom  as  yet ; 
But  they  are  receiving  authority  as  kings, 

With  the  Wildbeast,  for  one  hour. 
These  have  one  mind, 

And  they  are  giving  their  power  and  authority 

To  the  Wildbeast. 


Kev.  185 

17:  14. 

These  will  war  against  the  Lamb, 

And  the  Lamb  will  overcome  them. 
For  he  is  Lord  of  lords, 

And  King  of  kings; 
And  they  also  will  overcome, 

Those  who  are  with  him, 

And  are  called  and  chosen  and  faithful." 


And  he  said  to  me  : 

"  The  waters  which  you  saw. 

Where  the  prostitute  is  sitting, 
Are  peoples  and  crowds. 

And  nations  and  languages, 
And  the  ten  horns  which  you  saw, 

And  the  Wildbeast, 
These  will  hate  the  prostitute, 

And  will  make  her  desolate  and  naked. 
And  will  eat  her  flesh, 

And  will  burn  her  up  with  fire. 
For  God  put  into  their  hearts  to  do  his  mind. 

And  to  come  to  one  mind, 
And  to  give  their  kingdom  to  the  Wildbeast, 

Till  the  words  of  God  should  be  accomplished. 
And  the  woman  whom  you  saw  is  the  great*  city, 

Whicli   has  kingly  power  over  the  kings  of  the 
earth." 


186  Rev. 

18:1. 


The  Dirge  of  Babylon. 
(A  very  bright  Angel.     The  Leader  of  the  Chorus 

on  Earth.) 
After  this  I  saw  another  Angel 
Coming  down  out  of  Heaven, 
With  great  authority. 
And  the  earth  was  lit  up  with  his  brightness. 
And  he  cried  in  a  loud  voice,  and  said : 

"  She  fell !   She  fell  !  Babylon  the  great ! 

And  became  the  habitation  of  demons. 
And  a  hold  of  every  unclean  spirit. 

And  a  hold  of  every  unclean  and  hateful  bird. 
For  by  the  inflaming  wine  of  her  fornication 

All  the  nations  have  fallen  ; 
And  the  kings  of  the  earth 

Committed  fornication  with  her. 
And  the  merchants  of  the  earth 

Grew  rich  by  the  power  of  her  wantonness," 


Rev.  187 

18:  4. 

(A  Voice  out  of  Heaven.) 
(The  Leader  of  the  Chorus  above.) 

And  I  heard  another  voice  from  heaven, 

Saying : 
''  Come  out  of  her,  my  people. 
So  that  you  may  not  share  in  her  sins. 

And  so  that  you  may  not  receive  of  her  plagues. 
For  her  sins  have  reached  even  to  heaven, 

And  God  has  remembered  her  iniquities. 


Pay  her  back  as  she  herself  also  paid  back. 

And  double  to  her  the  double  according  to  her 
deeds. 
In  the  cup  which  she  mixed. 

Mix  for  her  double. 
In  as  many  things  as  she  praised  herself, 

And  grew  wanton, 

So  much  give  her  of  torment  and  mourning. 
For  she  keeps  saying  in  her  heart : 

'  I  am  sitting  a  queen. 

And  am  no  widow. 

And  shall  in  no  way  come  to  grief.' 
So  in  one  day  shall  her  plagues  come, 

Death  and  mourning  and  famine  ; 
And  she  shall  be  burnt  up  with  fire ; 

For  strong  is  the  Lord  God  who  judged  her. 


188  K^v- 

^°"  18: 9. 

(The  Chorus  of  Kings.) 

And  the  kings  of  the  earth, 

Who  committed  fornication 

And  hved  wantonly  with  her, 
Shall  weep  and  wail  over  her, 
When  they  look  at  the  smoke  of  her  burning, 

Standing  away  off  for  the  fear  of  her  torment, 
Saying : 

'  Woe  !     Woe  !  the  Great  City, 

Babylon,  the  strong  city  ! 

For  in  one  hour  has  your  judgment  come.' 


(The  Merchants  of  Earth.) 

And  the  merchants  of  the  earth 
Weep  and  mourn  over  her. 

For  no  one  buys  their  freight  any  more, 
Freight  of  gold  and  silver. 

And  precious  stone,  and  pearls. 

And  fine  linen,  and  purple, 

And  silk,  and  scarlet ; 

And  all  Tyine  wood,  and  everything  made  of 
ivory, 

And  everything  made  of  most  precious  wood. 

And  of  brass,  and  iron,  and  marble ; 

And  cinnamon,  and  spice. 


Rev.  189 

18:  13. 

And  incense,  and  ointment,  and  frankincense. 

And  wine,  and  oil, 

And  fine  flour,  and  wheat, 

And  cattle,  and  sheep  ; 
And  freight  of  horses,  and  chariots,  and  slaves ; 
And  souls  of  men. 

And  the  fruits  which  your  soul  desired 

Have  gone  from  you. 
And  everything  which  was  dainty  and  sumptuous 

Has  perished  from  you. 
And  they  shall  never  any  longer  be  found. 


(The  Chorus  of  Merchants.) 

The  merchants  of  these  things, 

Who  were  enriched  by  her. 
Shall  stand  away  off  for  fear  of  her  torment, 

Weeping  and  mourning, 
Saying  : 

'  Woe  !     Woe  !   the  Great  City, 

She  who  was  clothed  in  fine  linen,  and  purple, 

and  scarlet, 
And   decked  in  gold,  and  precious  stone  and 
pearl ! 
for  in  one  hour  all  this  wealth  has  come  to  ruin.' 


(The  Chorus  of  Seamen.) 

And  every  shipmaster, 

And  every  one  who  sails  anywhere. 
And  sailors, 

And  all  who  work  at  sea, 
Stood  away  off  and  cried  out, 

As  they  looked  on  the  smoke  of  her  burning, 
Saying  : 

'  What  city  is  like  the  Great  City  ?  ' 
And  they  threw  dust  on  their  heads. 

And  cried,  weeping  and  mourning. 
Saying  : 

<  Woe  !  Woe  !  the  Great  City, 
In  which  were  enriched  all  who  had  their  ships 

in  the  sea. 
Because  of  her  costliness  ! 

For  in  one  hour  she  has  come  to  ruin.' 


(Joy  in  Heaven.) 

Rejoice  over  her,  O  heaven  ! 

And  you  devoted  ones,  and  you  Apostles, 

And  you  prophets  ; 
For  God  has  condemned  her 

For  her  condemnation  of  you." 


Rev.  191 

18:  21. 

(The  Strong  Angel's  Symbol  and  Monody.) 
And  a  strong  Angel  took  up  a  stone, 

Like  a  great  millstone, 
And  threw  it  into  the  sea. 

Saying  : 
"Thus  with  a  mighty  fall  will  Babylon,  the  Great 
City, 

Be  thrown  down. 

And  shall  never  be  found  again. 
And  the  sound  of  harpers  and  minstrels, 
And  flute  players  and  trumpeters. 

Shall  never  be  heard  in  you  again. 
And  no  craftsman,  of  whatever  craft, 

Shall  ever  be  found  in  you  again. 
And  the  sound  of  a  millstone, 

Shall  never  be  heard  in  you  again. 
And  the  light  of  a  lamp, 

Shall  never  shine  in  you  again. 
And  the  voice  of  the  bridegroom  and  of  the  bride. 

Shall  never  be  heard  in  you  again. 
For  your  merchants  were  the  princes  of  the  earth. 
For    with     your    sorcery    were    all    the    nations 
deceived." 


And  in  her  was  found  the  blood  of  prophets  and  of. 
devoted  ones. 
And  of  all  who  have  been  slain  on  the  earth. 


1  qo  Bey. 

^^^  19: 1. 


Prelude  to  Second  and  Third  Acts. 

After  this  I  heard  as  it  were  a  mighty  voice 

Of  a  great  throng  in  heaven, 
Saying : 

''Hallelujah! 
The  salvation,    and   the  majesty   and   the 
power. 

Are  our  God's. 
For  true  and  good  are  his  judgments. 
For  he  has  judged  the  great  prostitute, 
Who  corrupted  the  earth  with  her  fornica- 
tion. 
And  he  has  avenged  the  blood  of  his  slaves 
At  her  hand." 
And  once  more  they  have  said : 

''Hallelujah!  " 
And  her  smoke  keeps  going  up 

Forever  and  ever. 
And  the  twenty-four  Elders 
And  the  four  Living  Creatures, 
Fell  down  and  worshipped  God, 
Who  sits  on  the  Throne, 
Saying : 

"  Amen.     Hallelujah  !  " 


And  a  voice  came  out  of  the  Throne, 
Saying  : 

"  Give  praise  to  our  God, 
All  you  his  slaves. 
You  who  fear  him, 

The  small  and  the  great." 

And  I  heard  as  it  were  the  voice  of  a  great  throng, 
And  as  a  sound  of  many  waters. 
And  as  the  sound  of  loud  thunders, 
Saying : 

"Hallelujah! 
For  the  Lord  our  God, 
The  All-Ruler  is  reigning. 
Let  us  rejoice  and  be  very  glad, 
And  let  us  give  the  praise  to  him. 
For  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  has  come, 
And  his  wife  has  made  herself  ready." 

And  she  was  given  authority  to  clothe  herself 
Li  fine  linen,  bright  and  pure : 
For   the    fine   linen    is    the  good  deeds   of  the 
devoted  ones. 

And  he  said  to  me  :      ' '  Write  : 

Blessed  are  those  who  are  invited 

To  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb." 


194  Rev. 

19:9. 

And  he  said  to  me  : 

''  These  are  true  words  of  God." 
And  I  fell  before  his  feet  to  worship  him. 

And  he  said  to  me  : 
''Do  not  do  that. 

I  am  fellow-slave  of  you  and  your  brothers 

Who  have  the  witness  of  Jesus. 
Worship  God." 

For  the  witness  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy. 


Second  Act.     The  Last  War. 

(  Extermination  of  Powers  of  Evil.) 

And  I  saw  heaven  opened  ; 
And  lo,  a  White  Horse, 
And  he  was  sitting  on  it, 
He  who  is  called  Faithful  and  True ; 
And  in  goodness  he  judges  and  makes  war. 
And  his  eyes  are  like  a  flame  of  fire, 
And  on  his  head  are  many  diadems, 
And  he  has  a  Name  written. 
Which  no  one  knows  but  he  himself. 
And  he  is  clothed  with  a  garment 
Sprinkled  with  blood  ; 
And  his  name  is  called  : 

The  Word  of  God. 


Rev.  195 

19:  13. 

And  the  armies  which  are  in  heaven 
Kept  following  him  on  white  horses, 
Clothed  in  fine  linen,  white  and  pure. 

And  out  of  his  mouth  was  going  a  sharp  sword. 
With  which  he  was  to  smite  the  nations. 

And  he  will  rule  them 
With  a  rod  of  iron. 

And  he  kept  treading  the  winepress 

Of  the  fierce  wrath  of  God,  the  All-Ruler. 

And  he  had  on  his  garment  and  on  his  thigh 
A  Name  written  : 

King  of  Kings,  and  Lord  of  Lords. 


(Birds  to  the  Supper  of  God.) 
And  I  saw  an  Angel  standing  in  the  sun. 

And  he  cried  in  a  loud  voice. 

And  said  to  all  the  birds 

Which  fly  in  midair  : 
*'  Come  and  be  gathered  together 

To  the  great  supper  of  God  ; 
So  that  you  may  eat  the  flesh  of  kings, 

And  the  flesh  of  captains  and  the  flesh  of  mighty 
men. 
And  the  flesh  of  horses 

And  of  those  who  are  sitting  on  them. 
And  the  flesh  of  all  men. 

Both  free  and  slave,  and  small  and  great." 


196  Rbv. 

19:  19. 

(  AVildbeast  and  False  Prophet  in  Lake  of  Fire.) 
And  I  saw  the  Wild  beast 

And  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  their  armies, 

Gathered  together  to  wage  the  war 

Against  him  who  was  sitting  on  the  horse, 

And  against  his  army. 
And  the  Wildbeast  was  taken, 

And  with  him  the  false  prophet, 

Who  did  the  signs  in  its  sight, 

With  which  he  deceived  those 

Who  had  received  the  mark  of  the  Wildbeast, 

And  those  who  kept  worshipping  its  Image. 
The  two  were  thrown  alive  into  the  lake  of  fire. 

Which  keeps  burning  with  sulphur. 
And  the  rest  were  slain  with  the  sword  of  him 

Who  was  sitting  on  the  horse. 

The  sword  came  out  of  his  mouth. 
And  all  the  birds  were  filled  with  their  flesh. 

(The  Dragon  Bound.) 
And  I  saw  an  Angel  coming  down  out  of  heaven 

With  the  key  of  the  Abyss, 

And  a  great  chain  in  his  hand. 
And  he  seized  the  Dragon,  the  Old  Serpent, 

Which  is  the  Devil  and  Satan, 
And  bound  him  for  a  thousand  years, 

And  threw  him  into  the  Abyss, 

And  shut  it  and  sealed  it  over  him. 


Rev.  197 

20:3. 

So  that  he  should  deceive  the  nations  no  longer, 
Till  the  thousand  years  should  be  finished. 

After  this  he  must  be  loosed 
For  a  little  while. 


(The  First  Resurrection.) 

And  I  saw  thrones,  and  those  sitting  on  them, 

And  judgment  was  given  to  them. 
And   I  saw  the  souls  of  those  who  had  been  be- 
headed 

On  account  of  the  witness  they  bore  to  Jesus, 

And  to  the  message  of  God. 
And  such  as  did  not  worship  the  Wildbeast, 

Nor  its  Image, 
And  did  not  receive  the  mark  on  their  forehead, 

And  on  their  hand. 
And  they  lived  and  reigned  with  Christ 

A  thousand  years. 
The  rest  of  the  dead  did  not  live 

Till  the  thousand  years  should  be  finished. 

This  is  the  First  Resurrection. 

Blessed  and  holy  is  he 

Who  has  })art  in  the  First  Resurrection. 
Over  these  the  Second  Death  has  no  authority. 
But  they  will  be  priests  of  God  and  of  Christ, 

And  will  reign  with  him  a  thousand  years. 


198  Rev. 

20:7. 

(War  of  Gog  and  Magog.) 

And  when  the  thousand  years  have  been  finished 

Satan  will  be  loosed  out  of  his  prison, 
And  will  come  out  to  deceive  the  nations 

Which  are  in  the  four  corners  of  the  earth, 
Gog  and  Magog, 

To  gather  them  together  to  the  war. 
And  the  number  of  them 

Is  like  the  sand  of  the  sea. 
And  they  went  up  over  the  breadth  of  the  earth. 

And  surrounded  the  camp  of  Christ's  devoted 
ones, 

And  the  beloved  city. 
And  fire  came  down  out  of  heaven 

And  devoured  them. 
And  the  Devil  who  used  to  deceive  them 

Was  thrown  into  the  Lake  of  Fire  and  Sulphur, 

Where  are  also  the  Wildbeast  and  False  Prophet. 
And  they  shall  be  tormented  day  and  night. 

Forever  and  ever. 


(Last  Judgment  and  Second  Death.) 

And  I  saw  a  great  white  Throne, 
And  him  who  was  sitting  on  it, 

And  from  his  face  the  earth 
And  the  heaven  fled  away. 


Rev.  199 

2U :  11. 

And  there  was  found  no  place  for  them. 
And  I  saw  the  dead, 

The  great  and  the  small, 
Standing  before  the  Throne, 

And  books  were  opened. 
And  another  Book  was  opened, 

Which  is  the  Book  of  Life. 
And  the  dead  were  judged 

Out  of  what  was  written  in  the  books, 

According  to  their  deeds. 
And  the  sea  gave  up  the  dead 

Which  were  in  it ; 
And  Death  and  Hades  gave  up  the  dead 

Which  were  in  them. 
And  they  were  judged, 

Every  man  according  to  his  deeds. 
And  Death  and  Hades  were  thrown 

Into  the  Lake  of  Fire. 

This  is  the  Second  Death, — 

The  Lake  of  Fire. 
And  if  any  one  was  not  found  written  in  the  Book 
of  Life, 

He  was  thrown  into  the  Lake  of  Fire. 


200  BBV. 


Prelude  to  Third  Act. 
(All  Things  New.) 

And  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth. 

For  the  first  heaven  and  the  first  earth 

Had  passed  away. 
And  the  sea  was  no  more. 
And  I  saw  the  Holy  City,  New  Jerusalem, 

Coming  down  out  of  heaven  from  God, 
Made  ready  as  a  bride 

Adorned  for  her  husband. 

And  I  heard  a  loud  voice  out  of  the  Throne, 

Saying : 
*'  Look  !  the  Tent  of  God  is  with  men, 

And  he  will  tent  with  them, 

And  they  shall  be  his  peoples, 

And  God  himself  shall  be  with  them> 

And  be  their  God. 

And  he  shall  wipe  away  every  tear  from  their  eyes, 

And  there  shall  no  longer  be  any  death  ; 

Nor  shall  there  be  any  mourning,  nor  crying, 

Nor  pain  any  longer  : 
The  first  things  have  passed  away." 


Rev.  301 

21:5. 

And  he  who  was  sitting  on  the  Throne 

Said  : 
**  Look  !    I  am  making  everything  new." 

And  he  said : 
''Write: 
These  words  are  to  be  relied  on  and  are  true." 

And  he  said  to  me : 
''They  have  taken  place. 
I  am  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega, 

The  beginning  and  the  end. 
I  will  give  to  him  who  is  thirsty 

Of  the  spring  of  the  living  water  freely. 
He  who  keeps  overcoming  shall  inherit  these  things, 

And  I  will  be  his  God,  and  he  shall  be  my  son. 
But  for  the  fearful  and  unbelieving. 

And  abominable,  and  murderers, 

And  fornicators,  and  sorcerers, 

And  idolaters,  and  all  liars, 
Their  part  will  be  in  the  Lake 

AVhich  is  burning  with  fire  and  sulphur; 

Which  is  the  Second  Death. 


Third  Act.     Descent  of  the  Holy  City. 

And  there  came  one  of  the  Seven  Angels, 
Who  had  the  Seven  Bowls, 
Who  were  loaded  with  the  Seven  last  Plagues  : 


0()0  Kev. 

"^""^  20:  9. 

And  he  talked  with  me, 

Saying  : 
''  Here  !    I    will  show  you  the  Bride 

The  Wife  of  the  Lamb." 
And  he  carried  me  away  under  the  influence  of  the 
Spirit, 

To  a  mountain  great  and  high. 
And  showed  me  the  Holy  City  Jerusalem, 

Coming  down  out  of  heaven  from  God, 
With  the  splendor  of  God. 
Her  light  was  like  a  very  precious  stone. 

Like  a  jasper  stone,  clear  as  crystal, 
With  a  wall  great  and  high ; 

With  twelve  gates, 

And  at  the  gates  twelve  angels  ; 

And  names  written  on  them. 

Which  are  the  names  of  the  twelve  tribes 
Of  the  children  of  Israel. 

On  the  east  were  three  gates ; 

On  the  north  three  gates ; 

On  the  south  three  gates  ; 

On  the  west  three  gates. 
And  the  wall  of  the  city  had  twelve  foundations. 

And  on  them  twelve  names 

Of  the  twelve  Apostles  of  the  Lamb. 
And  he  who  was  talking  with  me 

Had  for  a  measure  a  gold  reed. 

To  measure  the  city  and  its  gates  and  its  wall. 


Rev.  203 

21:16. 

And  the  City  lay  four  square, 

And  its  length  was  as  great  as  its  breadth. 
And  he  measured  the  City  with  the  reed, 
Twelve  thousand  furlongs. 
Its  length  and  breadth  and  height  were  equal. 
And  he  measured  its  wall, 

A  hundred  and  forty-four  cubits, 
Man's  measure,  that  is,  angel's  measure. 
And  the  building  of  its  wall  was  jasper. 
And  the  City  was  pure  gold, 

Like  pure  glass. 
The   foundations   of  the   wall   of  the   City   were 
adorned 
With  all  kinds  of  precious  stones. 
The  first  foundation  was  jasper ; 
The  second,  sapphire ; 
The  third,  chalcedony ; 
The  fourth,  emerald ; 
The  fifth,  sardonyx ; 
The  sixth,  sardius ; 
The  seventh,  chrysolite ; 
The  eighth,  beryl ; 
The  ninth,  topaz ; 
The  tenth,  chrysophrase ; 
The  eleventh,  jacinth  ; 
The  twelfth,  amethyst. 
And  the  twelve  gates  were  twelve  pearls ; 

Each  one  of  the  different  gates  was  of  one  pearl. 


204  Rev. 

21 :  21. 

And  the  street  of  the  city  was  pure  gold, 

Like  transparent  glass. 
And  I  saw  no  Temple  in  it 

For  the  Lord  God,  the  All-Ruler,  and  the  Lamb, 

Were  its  Temple. 
And  the  City  had  no  need  of  the  sun, 

Nor  of  the  moon  to  shine  on  it 
For  the  splendor  of  God  gave  it  light, 

And  its  lamp  was  the  Lamb. 
And  the  nations  will  walk  in  its  light. 

And  the  kings  of  the  earth  kept  bringing  their 
splendor  into  it. 
And  its  gates  will  never  be  shut  by  day. 

For  there  will  be  no  night  there. 
And  they  will  bring  the  splendor 

And  honor  of  the  Nations  into  it : 
And  nothing  unclean  will  ever  enter  into  it, 

Or  he  who  creates  an  abomination  and  a  lie : 
But  only  those  who  are  written 

In  the  Lamb's  Book  of  Life. 


(The  River  and  Wood  of  Life.) 

And  he  showed  me  a  river  of  living  water. 
Bright  as  crystal. 
Proceeding  out  of  the  Throne  of  God  and  the 

Lamb, 
In  the  middle  of  its  street. 


R»v.  205 

22:2. 

x\nd  on  this  side  of  the  river  and  on  that 

Was  the  Wood  of  Life 

Bearing  twelve  kinds  of  fruits, 

Yielding  its  fruit  every  month  : 
And  the  leaves  of  the  Wood 

Were  for  the  healing  of  the  Nations. 

And  there  will  no  longer  be  any  curse. 

And  the  Throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb 

Will  be  in  it : 

And  his  slaves  will  serve  him  ; 

And  they  will  see  his  face ; 

And  his  name  will  be  on  their  foreheads. 
And  there  will  no  longer  be  any  night. 

And  they  do  not  need  any  light  of  lamp, 

Or  light  of  sun  ; 
For  the  Lord  God  will  give  them  light, 

And  they  will  reign  forever  and  ever. 

The    Parting   of   the   Second   Guide   Angel. 
(His  Attestation.) 

And  he  said  to  me : 

''  These  words  are  to  be  relied  on  and  are  true, 
And  the   Lord,  the   God   of  the   spirits  of  the 

prophets. 
Sent  his  Angel  to  show  to  his  slaves 
What  must  shortly  happen." 


206  Rev> 

22:7. 

(The  Watchword  of  Jesus.) 

"  And  lo,  I  am  coming  quickly. 
Blessed  is  he  who  keeps  the  words 
Of  the  prophecy  of  this  Book." 


(John's  Affirmation  and  The  Guide's  Reproof.) 

And  I  John  am  he 

Who  was  hearing  and  seeing  these  things. 
And  when  I  heard  and  saw 

I  fell  down  to  worship 

Before  the  feet  of  the  Angel 

Who  was  showing  me  these  things. 
And  he  said  to  me ; 
'*  Do  not  do  that. 

I  am  fellow -slave  of  you, 

And  of  your  brothers  the  prophets, 

And  of  those  who  are  keeping  the  words  of  this 
Book. 
Worship  God." 
And  he  said  to  me  : 

"  Do  not  seal  up  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this 
Book. 

For  the  time  is  near. 


Bev.  207 

22:  11. 

He  who  is  doing  wrong, 

Let  him  do  wrong  still. 
And  he  who  is  filthy, 

Let  him  be  filthy  still. 
And  he  who  is  doing  right, 

Let  him  do  right  still. 
And  he  who  is  devoted 

Let  him  still  be  made  devoted." 

(The  Watchword  of  Jesus.) 

'<  Lo,  I  am  coming  quickly, 
And  my  wages  are  with  me, 

To  pay  each  one  in  full  as  his  work  is. 
I  am  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega, 
The  first  and  the  last. 

The  beginning  and  the  end. 
Blessed  are  those  who  are  washing  their  robes 
So  that  they  may  have  the  right  to  come  to  the 
Wood  of  Life, 
And  may  enter  in  by  the  gates  into  the  City." 

(City  Wall  between  Clean  and  Unclean.) 

Outside  are  the  dogs. 

And  the  sorcerers. 

And  the  fornicators, 

And  the  murderers. 

And  the  idolaters. 
And  every  one  who  keeps  loving  and  acting  a  lie. 


(Jesus  attests  the  Angel's  Mission.) 
''  I,  Jesus,  sent  my  Angel 

To  witness  to  you  these  things  for  the  Church. 
I  am  the  Root  and  the  Offspring  of  David, 

The  bright,  the  morning  Star." 

(Response.) 
And  the  Spirit  and  the  Bride 

Say,  Come. 
And  he  who  hears. 

Let  him  say.  Come. 
And  he  who  is  thirsty. 

Let  him  come. 
He  who  desires. 

Let  him  take  the  living  water  freely. 

(Jesus  attests  the  Book.) 
"I  am  witness  to  every  one 

Who  is  listening  to  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of 
this  Book. 
If  any  one  shall  add  to  them 
God  will  add  to  him  the  plagues 
Which  are  described  in  this  Book. 
If  any  one  shall  take  away  from  the  words 
Of  the  book  of  this  prophecy, 
God  will  take  away  his  part 
From  the  Word  of  Life, 
And  out  of  the  Holy  City, 
Which  are  described  in  this  Book. 


He  who  is  witnessing  to  these  things  says : 
Yes,  I  am  coming  quicl^ly." 

(Response.) 
Amen.     Come,  Lord  Jesus. 

(Salutation.) 

May  the  favor  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  the 

Devoted  Ones. 

Amen. 


S.  JOHN.— NOTES, 


S.  JOHN.— NOTES. 

1:1.     "  /«  the  beginning  was  the  IVord.^^ 

The  allusion  here  to  the  beginning  of  Genesis  is  obvious 
at  a  glance.  But  John  does  not  stop  at  that  beginning 
which  Moses  makes  the  point  of  departure.  He  ascends 
still  higher.  His  aim  is  more  remote  than  that  of  his  pred- 
ecessor. Moses  has  immediately  in  view  only  the  develop- 
ment of  the  Jewish  theocracy.  John's  aim  is  the  second 
creation,  the  recreation  in  Christ  our  Lord.  For  him, 
therefore,  Moses'  beginning  cannot  suffice.  He  must  plunge 
into  eternity. 

The  term  Word  of  necessity  contains  an  allusion  to  the 
story  of  creation  in  Genesis.  Eight  times  in  the  course  of 
that  narrative,  like  the  refrain  of  a  hymn,  occur  the  words : 
"  And  God  said.'''' 

John  gathers  up  all  these  sayings  into  a  single  saying.  It 
is  a  living  saying.  It  is  endowed  with  activity  and  intelli- 
gence. From  it  all  divine  orders  emanate.  It  is  the  basis 
of  all  spoken  words.     It  is  the  speaking  Word  himself. 

1:4.     "  The  Life  was  the  Light  of  men.''^ 

This  profound  word  "  light "  appears  in  the  language  of 
S.  John  to  denote  the  knowledge  of  moral  good,  or  moral 
good  fully  conscious  of  itself  in  the  living  beings  who 
realize  it. 

213 


214  S.   JOHN. 

The  word  *' /r«M  "  expresses  the  same  thing  without  a 
figure. 

Light,  thus  understood,  is  accessible  to  no  being  on  the 
earth  except  man.  He  alone  is  the  one  being  endowed  with 
the  necessary  inward  organ  for  the  perception  of  it. 

This  inward  organ  was  originally  one.  It  is  now  divided 
into  conscience  and  reason. 

Moral  good  does  not  emanate  directly  from  the  Word.  It 
proceeds  from  life.  This  life  proceeds  from  the  Word 
directly  and  immediately  to  man.  For  as  bodily  sight  is 
one  of  the  functions  of  physical  life,  so  spiritual  light  is  an 
emanation  from  moral  life. 

The  Word  is  light.  But  it  is  only  through  the  medi- 
ation of  life  he  always  must  become  so.  This,  then,  is  the 
very  relation  the  Good  News  of  Christ's  Kingdom  restores 
to  man.  We  recover  through  the  new  creation  in  Christ 
Jesus  an  inner  light.  Learning  how  to  live  as  he  lived, 
this  inner  light  springs  up  from  our  walking  in  newness  of 
life.  The  light  gams  in  clearness  in  proportion  as  our 
moral  life  grows  in  intensity. 

I  :  i8.  "  TA^  Only  Begotten  Son  .  .  .  he  has  made 
him  knowny 

Truth  is  God  perfectly  revealed  and  known.  In  Jesus 
comes  truth  because  he  possesses  and  brings  the  adequate 
revelation  of  the  Divine  Being. 

The  full  and  true  knowledge  of  God  cannot  be  the  result 
of  philosophical  investigation.  Our  understanding  as  such 
can  receive  only  certain  isolated  rays  of  the  revelation  of 
God.  It  cannot  succeed  in  unitmg  these  isolated  rays  into 
a  complete  whole.  Still  less  can  it  succeed  in  ascending  to 
the  divine  focus  from  which  they  emanate. 


NOTES,  215 

I  :  32.  "  /  saw  the  Spirit  descending  from  heaven  like  a 
dove.'''' 

Some  passages  are  found  in  the  Jewish  teachers  where 
the  Spirit  who  moved  on  the  face  of  the  waters  at  the  cre- 
ation is  associated  with  the  Spirit  of  the  Messiah,  and  com- 
pared to  a  dove  brooding  over  her  young  without  touching 
them. 

As  this  comparison  was  familiar  to  the  Jewish  mind,  it 
probably  explains  to  us  the  form  of  the  divine  revelation. 
The  emblem  admirably  suits  the  decisive  moment  of  Jesus' 
purification. 

2:4.     "  What  do  you  wish  ofnie,  Mother  ?  " 

All  scholars  agree  that  in  the  use  of  the  word  '«  woman  " 
in  addressing  his  mother,  Jesus  showed  all  due  respect  for 
her,  because  in  the  East  that  was  the  ordinary  way  of  ad- 
dressing even  one's  mother.  To  us,  however,  this  mode  of 
address  seems  harsh  and  disrespectful.  For  this  reason  we 
have  attempted  a  more  natural  translation  by  rendering  it 
as  we  ourselves  would  say,  "  mother." 

•'  What  do  you  wish  of  me  ?  " 

This  rendering  of  Ti  ejnoi  kaisoi?  is  so  radically  different 
from  the  ordinary  rendering  it  is  here  accounted  for. 

Wherever  the  expression  is  used  in  Scripture  the  render- 
ing above  given  is  in  harmony  with  the  sequence  of  the 
text,  the  logic  of  ideas,  and  the  reality  of  the  thought  ex- 
pressed. 

To  translate  Ti  emoi  kai  soi  ?  "  What  have  I  to  do  with 
thee  ? "  it  is  necessary  to  arbitrarily  suppose  that  in  the 
original,  "  common  "  is  understood.  Nor  is  this  enough. 
We  must  suppose  the  word  "  interest  "  also  to  be  under- 
stood. As  if  the  original  really  said  :  What  common  inter- 
est to  you  and  me  ? 


216  S.   JOHN. 

This  literal  word  for  word  translation  is  not  only  at  first 
sight  quite  obscure,  but  no  key  to  its  meaning  can  be  found 
in  the  idioms  of  any  language.  The  only  ground  for  it  ap- 
pears to  be  in  the  fact  that  it  was  once  adopted  by  some 
one  and  so  in  lieu  of  his  ignorance  every  following  trans- 
lator adopted  it  out  of  sheer  necessity.  "When,  however, 
we  once  stop  to  think  carefully  upon  the  circumstances  in 
which  these  words  were  originally  spoken  it  gradually 
dawns  upon  the  mind  that  they  were  used  as  an  idiom  ex- 
pressive  of  condescension  and  submission. 

The  mind  is  drawn  to  this  presumption  by  a  careful  study 
of  the  text  in  the  original.  It  becomes  a  fixed  conviction 
with  us  when  we  also  consider  the  contexts  wherever  else 
in  Scripture  it  is  found. 

Tt  enioi  kai  soi  ?  is  found  in  S.  Mark  5:7,  and  S.  Luke 
8:  28.  There  it  is  spoken  to  Jesus  by  one  possessed.  The 
possessed  one  sees  Jesus  at  a  distance,  runs  to  him,  throws 
himself  at  his  feet,  and  cries  in  a  loud  voice  :  Ti  emoi  kai 
soi,  lesou  huie  tou  theou  tou  hupsistou  ?  and  thea  adds  :  «<  I 
adjure  thee  by  God  not  to  torment  me." 

We  find  in  S.  Matthew  8:  29-31,  a  like  circumstance. 
The  possessed  show  their  terror  and  implied  submission. 
For  they  cry  out :  "  Ti  hemin  kai  soi  huie  tou  theou  ?  "  and 
then  continue  :  "  Hast  thou  come  to  torment  us  before  the 
time?"  Then  the  demons  become  suppliants.  "If thou 
cast  us  out,"  they  say,  <•  send  us  into  the  herd  of  swine." 

Again.  In  S.  Luke  4:  34,  asking  the  question  :  "  Ea,ti 
hemin  kai  soi,  lesou  Nazarene  ?  "  the  demon  continues, 
"  Hast  thou  come  to  destroy  us  ?  I  know  who  thou  art. 
The  Holy  One  of  God." 

From  all  this  it  appears  necessary  that  Ti  emoi  kai  soi  ? 
must   have  a  meaning  suitable  for  the  use  of  two  extremes 


NOTES.  217 

of  character — demons  speaking  to  Jesus — and  Jesus  speak- 
ing to  his  mother. 

Now  is  this  question  anything  else  than  a  question  im- 
plying submission  and  acquiescence? — the  submission  and 
acquiescence  of  love,  as  in  the  case  of  Jesus  speaking  to 
his  mother — the  submission  and  acquiescence  of  fear,  as  in 
the  case  of  demons  speaking  to  Jesus  ? 

As  ordinarily  translated  this  text  cannot  be  shorn  of  a 
certain  amount  of  harshness,  grating  to  the  native  instinct 
of  every  one  who  reads  or  hears  it  addressed  by  Jesus  to 
his  mother.  It  is  perplexing.  It  conveys  no  clear  meaning 
in  any  of  the  places  where  it  is  used.  It  is  completely  out  of 
accord  both  with  the  logical  sequence  of  ideas  and  the  na- 
ture of  the  case.  Whereas,  on  the  other  hand,  the  transla- 
tion here  given,  is  clear,  in  perfect  accord  with  the  trend  of 
thought  wherever  it  is  found,  and  so  natural  there  appears 
to  be  nothing  to  do  but  to  adopt  it. 

Further.  It  is  because  Ti  etnoi  kai  soi  ?  means,  "  What 
do  you  wish  of  me  ?  "  Mary  at  once  says  to  the  servants, 
"Do  whatever  he  tells  you,"  It  is  because,  Ti  enioi  kai 
soi  ?  means,  "  What  do  you  wish  of  me  ?  "  the  demons 
asked  the  question  to  disarm  Jesus,  and  then  go  on  to  say  : 
"I  beg  you  not  to  torment  me."  It  is  for  this  reason  they 
become  suppliants  and  ask  him  to  send  them  into  the  herd 
of  swine. 

2  :  14-23.  "  He  found  in  the  Temple  those  who  were  sell- 
ing oxen^^  etc. 

Jesus  is  not  welcome  in  the  Temple.  He  forces  things 
no  further.  It  is  impossible  for  him  to  go  further.  Other- 
wise he  would  have  been  led  to  the  career,  not  of  a 
Messiah,  but  of  a  Mahomet. 


218  S.    JOHN. 

In  the  presence  of  the  cold  reserve  he  meets  with,  he 
retreats.  This  retrograde  movement  is  for  a  time  the 
characteristic  of  the  course  of  his  work.  The  palace  has 
just  closed  against  him.  The  capital  remains  open.  He 
continues  his  work  there,  but  no  longer  in  the  fulness  of 
that  Messianic  sovereignty  with  which  he  has  just  pre- 
sented himself  in  the  Temple.  He  now^  confines  himself 
to  teaching  and  signs,  the  prophetic  instruments  of  his 
work. 

Such  is  the  wonderful  elasticity  of  the  divine  work  in  the 
midst  of  this  world.  It  advances  only  so  far  as  faith  per- 
mits and  a  willing  receptivity  invites  it.  It  yields  to  resist- 
ance. It  retires  to  its  last  entrenchment  before  a  determined 
opposition.  But  when  this  last  stronghold  of  divine  grace 
has  been  reached  it  suddenly  resumes  the  offensive.  It  en- 
gages heroically  in  the  final  struggle,  succumbs  externally, 
but  conquers  morally. 

3:1.  "  TAere  was  a  man  of  the  Pharisees  named  Nico- 
demus.^^ 

The  account  here  given  of  Nicodemus'  visit  to  Jesus  is  the 
most  memorable  example  of  our  Lord's  revelation  of  his 
person  and  work. 

The  part  of  the  conversation  here  given  may  be  compared 
with  that  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  as  related  by  S. 
Matthew.  The  two  passages  have  each  a  decidedly  in- 
augural character. 

2i'-  2)-  "  Except  a  man  is  born  fro?n  above,  he  cannot  see 
the  Kingdom  of  Gody 

The  phrase  "  Kingdom  of  God  "  or  "  Kingdom  of 
Heaven,"  is  one  which  is  continually  recurring  in  the  first 


NOTES.  219 

three  Evangelists.  It  is  a  most  characteristic  expression  of 
theirs.  S.  John,  however,  uses  it  rarely.  Yet  if  we  want 
a  commentary  upon  every  passage  in  which  it  occurs  in  the 
New  Testament,  if  we  want  to  know  why  the  Good  News 
which  the  Apostles  preached  is  called  the  Good  News  of 
this  Kingdom,  it  can  be  found  in  this  verse  and  the  conver- 
sation which  follows. 

We  find  here  the  announcement  of  another  kind  of  birth 
from  that  which  we  call  the  natural  birth.  Yet  this  other 
birth  is  not  an  unnatural  birth.  It  is  the  truest  and  best  of 
all  births. 

■  The  Word  that  was  with  God  and  was  God  is  the  Creator 
of  men.  His  Life  is  the  Light  of  men.  Those  who  allow 
this  Light  to  penetrate  the  darkness  of  their  hearts  become 
what  they  were  always  meant  to  be.  They  become  true  and 
genuine  Sons  of  God  and  joint  heirs  with  Christ.  They  ful- 
fil the  purpose  of  him  who  called  them  out  of  darkness  into 
his  marvelous  light. 

3:5.  ^*  Except  a  man  is  born  of  water  and  Spirit,  he 
cannot  enter  the  Kingdom  of  God.^^ 

Jesus  had  just  spoken  of  seeing  the  Kingdom  of  God. 
He  now  speaks  of  entering  it. 

To  see  a  Kingdom  is  to  have  an  apprehension  of  its 
reality  and  its  nature.  To  enter  it,  is  to  become  a  subject 
of  it. 

But  how  can  any  man  but  choose  to  become  a  subject  of 
God's  Kingdom  ?  Is  he  not  of  necessity  a  subject  of  it 
already  ? 

Our  consciences  tell  us  we  are  the  subjects  of  God's 
Kingdom,  We  realize  every  day  of  our  lives  how  strongly 
its  laws  bind  us.  We  cannot  break  a  single  one  of  them 
without  feeling  the  bad  results  of  our  action. 


220  S.   JOHN. 

This  is  the  great  contradiction  of  our  lives.  No  theories 
can  rid  us  of  it. 

Man  can  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  God  only  through 
the  return  of  his  spirit  to  its  allegiance. 

3:7,8.  "  Do  not  wonder  because  I  told  you  :  You  must 
be  born  fr 0711  above.      The  Spirit  breathes  where  he  wishes^ 

We  have  adopted  this  rendering  because  of  the  370  times 
of  the  use  of  the  original  of  the  word  rendered  "  wind  "  in 
King  James'  version,  it  is  nowhere  else  but  here  so  trans- 
lated. Why  should  it  be  rendered  ".wind  "  and  then  im- 
mediately afterwards  in  the  very  same  verse  be  rendered 
"Spirit"? 

Again.  There  is  another  word  for  "  wind  "  in  the  Greek. 
This  occurs  31  times  in  the  New  Testament.  S.  John  uses 
it  in  his  sixth  chapter.  Would  he  not  in  all  probability 
have  used  this  latter  unambiguous  word  in  this  verse  if  he 
wanted  to  convey  that  meaning  ?  Why  should  he  use  the 
same  identical  word  in  two  different  meanings  in  the  very 
same  verse  ? 

The  rendering  of  both  words  in  the  eighth  verse  by  the 
same  word  in  English,  as  here  done,  has  the  support  of 
much  learning,  critical  acumen,  and  spiritual  insight.  It 
rests  on  two  of  the  greatest  of  the  Fathers,  Origen  and 
Augustin,  two  of  the  most  learned  of  modern  scholars,  Al- 
brecht  Bengel  and  F.  D.  Maurice. 

As  F.  D.  Maurice  so  well  says  .  "  What  need  is  there 
here  to  introduce  the  sighing  and  soughing  of  the  wind  to 
make  our  Lord's  explanation  clearer  and  more  forcible  ? 
We  should  rather  understand  him  to  say:  All  the  breath- 
iiif^s  of  God's  Spirit  are  free.  They  are  never  fixed  and 
fettered   by  material  or   mechanical   conditions.     Yon  hear 


NOTES.  221 

his  voice  continually.  But  whence  the  Spirit  comes, 
whither  he  is  going,  you  know  not.  So  is  it  with  him  that 
is  born  of  the  Spirit.  You  cannot  perceive  the  process  of 
birth.  You  hear  the  voice  which  indicates  the  birth.  But 
how  the  spiritual  being  came  to  be  what  he  is,  you  know 
not." 

3:  i6.  *•  For  God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his 
only  begotten  Son.''^ 

Can  we  have  anything  more  than  such  a  gift  as  this  to 
teach  us  what  the  nature  of  God  really  is  ? 

The  dread  power  that  man  has  ever  conceived, — that  is  not 
God.  The  pursuing  vengeance  sin  has  ever  imagined, — 
that  is  not  God.  The  unsatisfied  anger  sacrifice  has  ever 
suggested, — that  is  not  God.  No,  not  at  all.  None  of  these 
things  is  God.  On  the  contrary,  all  that  human  thought 
has  ever  gathered  of  tenderness,  of  forgiveness,  of  love,  in 
the  relation  of  father  to  child — all  this,  in  the  faintness  of 
an  earth  drawn  picture,  all  this  and  more  also,  is  God  to  us. 

4 :34.     "  My  food  is  to  do  the  will  of  him  who  sent  w^." 

To  do  the  will  of  God  is  indeed  food  and  drink  in  the 
highest  sense  of  those  terms.  For  by  this  means  alone  can 
we  get  the  supply  of  all  our  truest  needs  and  the  satisfac- 
tion of  all  our  truest  desires  (Deut.  8:3;  Matt.  4  :  4). 

Analogies  to  this,  and  exemplifications  of  it  are  within  the 
limits  of  every  man's  experience.  Yes,  faint  as  these  some- 
times are,  they  help  us  to  learn  something  of  what  this 
spiritual  sustenance  was. 

The  command  of  duty,  the  cheering  power  of  hope,  the 
stimulus   of   success,  such  forces  supply  to  weak  and  weary 


222  S.   JOHN. 

nerves  the  vigor  of  new  life.  How  often  have  they  given 
to  already  overworked  and  thoroughly  fatigued  muscles  the 
strength  so  much  needed  in  an  unexpected  crisis  ! 

Under  such  circumstances  the  soldier  forgets  his  wounds, 
the  martyr  walks  boldly  to  the  lion  or  the  flame,  the  worn 
out  traveler  still  plods  perseveringly  homeward. 

5  :  24.  "  //e  who  hears  my  word  and  believes  in  him  who 
sent  me  has  eternal  life." 

Eternal  life  is  not  to"  be  gotten  and  to  be  lived  at  some 
future  time.  Belief  in  Christ  and  action  in  accordance 
with  that  belief  is  eternal  life.  Eternal  life  is  a  condition 
of  life  with  reference  to  God  and  his  truth.  It  is  not  a 
question  of  beginning  and  ending  and  length  of  time.  It 
is  simply  a  question  of  passing  from  the  death  of  sin  to  the 
life  of  right  thought,  and  word,  and  deed. 

5  :  40.     "  Yoii  do  not  wish  to  come  to  fne." 

The  real  hindrance  to  men's  coming  to  Christ  is  here 
again  traced  to  the  will.  The  hindrance  is  moral,  not  in- 
tellectual. The  result  of  a  real  wilhngness  to  know  the 
truth  is  not  problematical.  It  is  sure  and  certain  as  the 
sun,  "  You  search  because  you  think  you  have."  "  If  you 
wished  to  come  you  would  really  have." 

The  lesson  here  taught  is  very  wide  in  its  bearing  upon 
the  thoughts  and  actions  of  men. 

It  is  to  be  learned  in  the  closet  rather  than  in  the  library, 
in  trustful  action  rather  than  in  scholarship  and  thought. 

Religion  is  not  philosophy.  God  has  never  become 
known  to  the  world  by  intellectual  knowledge.  If  an 
humble  heart  wills  to  become  a  scholar,  God  wills  to  be- 
come his  effective  Teacher. 


NOTES.  223 

6 :  29.  "  TAis  is  the  work  of  God,  to  believe  in  him  whom 
he  has  sent." 

Faith  and  work  are  one.  As  soul  and  body  together 
make  the  one  life  of  man  so  faith  and  work  must  go  to- 
gether to  make  his  true  spiritual  life. 

The  energy  of  every  work  is  in  the  faith  which  links  the 
soul  with  God.  The  outcome  of  all  faith  is  in  the  act  which 
links  the  soul  with  man. 

The  work  of  life  is  faith.     Faith  works  by  love. 

6  :  35.     "  I  a7n  the  bread  of  life ^ 

Jesus  here  explains  what  he  meant  in  verse  27,  when  he 
spoke  of  the  food  which  endures  to  eternal  life.  The  food 
is  himself.  The  labor  requisite  for  obtaining  this  food  is 
faith.  The  expression,  bread  of  life,  means  the  bread  which 
imparts  life.  In  using  the  image  of  bread,  Jesus  alludes  to 
his  incarnation  whereby  "  that  eternal  life  who  was  in  the 
beginning  with  the  Father,''^  became  capable  of  being 
grasped  and  fed  on  by  men. 

But  if  this  food  is  to  nourish  us,  action  is  requisite  on  our 
part.  We  must  come.  We  must  believe.  With  glad  and 
trusting  eagerness  the  famished  heart  urged  on  by  spiritual 
necessities  must  take  possession  of  the  heavenly  food  of- 
fered it  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 

6  :  48.     '•  /  a7n  the  bread  of  life.'' 

Bread  is  the  visible  form  which  contains  and  imparts  the 
essence  of  life.  The  essence  of  life  itself,  however,  is  al- 
ways unseen.  So  is  it,  Jesus  means  here  to  say,  with  the 
Father  and  the  Son.  God  is  the  source  of  eternal  life. 
The  human  nature  of  the  Son  of  God  is  the  visible  form 
which  contains  and  imparts  this  life  to  the  souls  of  men. 


224  S.   JOHN. 

It  is  now  the  time  of  the  Jewish  feast  of  the  Passover. 
The  Jewish  families  from  all  parts  of  the  country  are  as- 
sembling to  eat  the  flesh  which  tells  of  the  deliverance  from 
Egyptian  bondage  on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other  hand, 
of  the  birth  of  the  nation's  life. 

Every  day  of  the  Temple  service  at  this  time  tells  of 
flesh  given  in  sacrifice  for  sin  and  eaten  in  maintenance  of 
individual  life. 

These  words  of  Jesus  uttered  at  this  Passover  and  ful- 
filled at  the  next,  announce  a  gift  of  his  own  flesh  as  the 
true  Paschal  Lamb,  as  the  sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  the  world, 
and  as  the  food  and  sustenance  of  the  truest  life  of  man- 
kind. 

The  blood  is  spoken  of  as  distinct  from  the  flesh.  This, 
of  course,  involves  physical  death.  The  eating  of  the  flesh 
would  itself  imply  the  thoughts  of  sacrifice  and  of  suste- 
nance, the  removal  of  the  death  penalty  attached  to  sin,  and 
the  strength  of  life  sustained  by  food.  But  the  spiritual 
truth  fuller  and  deeper  is  this.  At  least  we  can  more 
readily  see  in  it  how  the  true  element  of  life  in  the  soul  de- 
pends upon  such  communion  with  Christ  as  is  expressed  by 
drinking  the  blood  itself.  We  must  receive  into  the  human 
spirit  the  Spirit  of  Christ  represented  by  it.  For  with  this 
alone  comes  the  principle  of  our  spiritual  life. 

No  man  really  has  spiritual  life  except  in  so  far  as  he  has 
received  into  the  innermost  source  of  his  being  the  life 
principle  revealed  in  the  person  of  Christ. 

This  passes  through  and  through  his  moral  frame,  like 
the  blood  traversing  the  physical  organism.  It  is  hidden 
from  sight,  indeed,  in  such  a  course,  yet,  nevertheless,  pass- 
ing from  the  central  heart  through  artery  and  vein,  it  bears 
life  in  its  course  to  muscle,  nerve,  and  tissue.     So  is  it,  we 


'    NOTES.  225 

say  again,  with  the  divine  principle  of  the  Light  of  Life, 
Passing  from  the  Eternal  Light  and  Love  of  God,  the  heart 
of  the  universe,  through  the  humanity  of  Christ,  it  traverses 
the  soul  of  man,  and  carries  life  and  energy  to  every  part 
of  the  human  personality. 

7  :  17.  ^'  If  any  one  wishes  to  do  his  will  he  will  get  to 
know  about  the  teaching^ 

Here  again  it  is  plainly  shown  that  faith  is  not  the  result 
of  a  logical  operation  of  the  mind.  It  comes  to  the  soul  of 
a  man  only  as  a  result  of  practical  moral  experience. 

7  :  39.  "  The  Spirit  was  not  yet  given,  because  Jesus  ivas 
not  yet  glorified.''^ 

The  work  of  the  Spirit  really  consists  in  causing  Christ 
himself  to  live  in  the  heart  of  the  believer.  It  is  evident, 
therefore,  that  the  Spirit  could  not  come  till  after  the  per- 
sonal consummation  of  Jesus.  For  it  is  not  a  non-perfected 
Christ  the  divine  Spirit  was  to  communicate  to  humanity, 
but  the  God-man  arrived  at  his  full  stature, 

8  :  32.  "  You  will  get  to  know  the  truth,  and  the  truth 
will  make  you  free^  , 

Truth  is  not  a  system  of  instruction  in  the  inmost  citadel 
of  its  strength.  It  is  a  living  power.  It  is  not  simply 
something  written  and  spoken.  It  is  something  felt  with 
the  sensitiveness  of  living  flesh  and  blood.  It  is  something 
lived  out  in  the  life  of  a  pure  and  unselfish  character.  By 
living  such  a  life  of  truth  a  broader  and  deeper  perception 
of  truth  is  come  to.  Being  true,  such  characters  '<  in  love 
grow  up  into  him  in  all  things,  who  is  the  head,  even 
Christ." 


226  S.    JOHN. 

Truth  and  a  pure  and  noble  character  are  one  and  the 
same. 

8  :  33.  "  PVe  are  Abraham'' s  descendants  and  were  never 
in  bondage  to  any  one^ 

In  this  verse  we  see  the  characteristic  of  all  untruth. 
«  They  were  never  in  bondage  to  any  one."  Bold,  bare- 
faced, effrontery.  They  can  thus  ignore  so  shamelessly  the 
facts  of  their  history  because  they  would  not  learn  the  les- 
sons these  were  meant  to  teach  them.  What  was  the 
Egyptian  slavery?  What  was  the  Babylonish  captivity? 
W' hy  are  they  at  this  very  moment  carrying  Roman  money 
in  their  pockets,  and  paying  Roman  taxes  ? 

10  :  28.     "  /  am  giving  them  eternal  life^ 

As  Jesus  says  further  on  in  this  Gospel,  in  his  prayer  to 
the  Father :  "  This  is  life  eternal,  to  know  thee,  the  only 
true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  thou  hast  sent."  Eternal 
life  is  a  condition  of  life,  not  some  future  existence  in  time 
and  space.     If  we  will  have  it,  it  is  ours  here  and  now. 

10  :  34.     <'  You  are  Codsy 

Every  godlike  function  conferred  by  God  and  exercised 
in  his  name,  places  him  to  whom  it  is  entrusted  in  a  living 
relation  to  the  Most  High.  It  makes  him  share  God's  in- 
spiration and  constitutes  him  God's  agent.  In  this  way, 
whether  the  man  is  a  king,  judge,  prophet,  or  one  of  the 
common  people  only,  he  becomes  relatively  a  manifestation 
of  God.  For  as  Scripture  declares  on  this  point :  "  In  that 
day,  .  .  .  the  honse  of  David  shall  be  as  God,  as  the 
Angel  0/ the  Lord''  (Zech.  12  :  8). 

1 1  :  25.     ^^  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life.'* 

He  is  the  resurrection  in  the  same  sense  in  which  he  is 


NOTES.  227 

the  "  water  of  life  "  and  the  "  bread  of  life."  As  in  him- 
self he  supplied  every  need  of  spiritual  hunger  and  of 
spiritual  thirst,  so  Jesus  declares  himself  to  be  the  resurrec- 
tion. He  reveals  in  his  own  person  all  of  the  future  life 
men  have  ever  thought  of  or  hoped  for.  He  is  himself  the 
power  that  shall  raise  them  up  at  the  last  day.  He  can, 
therefore,  raise  us  up  now. 

He  is  "  the  life."  From  this  very  fact,  every  one  in  com- 
munion with  him  lives. 

II' 35-     "  y^sus  wej>^.'^ 

A  "  God  in  tears  "  may  provoke  the  smile  of  the  stoic  and 
occasion  the  scorn  of  unfeeling  faithlessness.  But  Christi- 
anity is  not  a  gospel  of  self-sufficiency.  Its  message  is  not 
merely  to  the  intellect.  It  is  rather  a  salvation  for  the 
whole  man  and  for  every  man.  As  a  result  the  sorrowing 
heart  of  humanity  has  never  seen  the  divinity  of  the  Son 
of  Man  more  clearly  than  when  it  has  seen  his  divine  glory 
shining  through  his  human  tears. 

12  :  24.  "  Except  a  grain  of  wheat  falls  into  the  ground 
and  dies,  it  continues  by  itself ^ 

We  know  that  a  grain  of  wheat  must  remain  alone  and 
not  really  live  unless  it  falls  to  the  earth.  Though  it  con- 
tains in  itself  the  germs  of  life,  the  life  germs  in  the  single 
grain  can  burst  forth  only  through  contact  with  the  earth 
and  its  own  death.  It  then  gives  life  to  blade  and  stalk 
and  ear.     Its  death  is  its  true  life. 

This  is  not  only  a  law  of  the  physical  world.  Christ  here 
teaches  that  it  is  a  law  as  well  of  the  moral  world.  It  is  a 
law  to  which  his  own  life  is  subjected.  With  him,  too,  life 
issues  only  through  death.  The  moral  power  which  is  the 
life  of  the  world  finds  its  source  in  the  death  of  the  Son  of 
Man. 


228  S.   JOHN. 

12  :  25.  "  //e  who  loves  his  life  will  lose  it.  lie  who  hates 
his  life  in  this  world  7vill  keep  it  to  life  eternal.'''' 

In  self-sacrifice  and  death  is  Jesus'  glory.  There  is  in 
all  human  nature  a  principle  which  would  seek  as  the  high- 
est good,  the  life  of  the  body  and  soul,  as  distinct  from  the 
higher  life  of  the  spirit.  It  shrinks  from  sacrifice  and  death. 
The  true  principle  of  life,  however,  is  of  the  spirit.  To 
realize  this  spiritual  life,  it  is  necessary  to  sacrifice  the  lower 
physical  and  emotional  life. 

1 2  :  26.  "7/"  any  one  serves  fne,  let  him  follow  me^  and 
where  1  am  there  ivill  also  my  servant  be.'^ 

The  point  of  the  whole  teaching  of  Christ  in  this  place  is 
missed  unless  we.  think  of  the  Greeks  as  present.  They 
had  come  as  volunteer  disciples.  Do  they  know  what  dis- 
cipleship  to  him  means  ?  Are  they  prepared  to  follow  him 
in  self-sacrifice  ?  Do  they  esteem  eternal  life  at  such  a 
price  as  to  go  through  such  a  sacrifice  to  obtain  it  ?  This 
had  been  the  condition  of  earlier  discipleship.  It  is  now 
laid  down  again  for  the  second  time  as  the  only  condition 
of  true  and  loyal  discipleship.  Self-sacrifice  is  really  self- 
salvation.  Self-seeking  is  always  very  near  to  hatred  of 
others.  Often  it  is  in  reality  at  one  with  such  hatred. 
Self-sacrifice,  on  the  contrary,  is  always  akin  to  love  of 
others.  Very  frequently  the  two  are  the  same.  What  that 
means  stands  out  the  more  clearly  when  we  remember  that 
Love  is  life. 

12  :  27.     "  A^ow  is  my  soul  troubled.^'' 
Not  a  few  would-be  interpreters  compel  themselves  to 
read  into  these  words  what  is  really  not  there. 

The  troubled  soul  of  Jesus  asks:  What  shall  I  say? 


NOTES.  229 

In  this  struggle  is  humanity  struggling.  In  this  victory 
humanity  has  won. 

13  :  35-  "  ^y  ^^"-^  ^^^^^  everybody  learn  that  ymi  are  my 
disciples,  by  the  love  you  have  for  each  other. ^^ 

Jesus  here  gives  his  disciples  an  indication  of  their  real 
and  vital  unity.  They  will  always  be  linked  to  him  and 
to  each  other  in  the  bond  of  love. 

The  apologists  of  the  first  Christian  centuries  delighted 
to  appeal  to  this  striking  fact.  The  common  love  of  Chris- 
tians was  an  entirely  new  thing  in  the  history  of  mankind. 

14  :  II.     •'  He  zvill give  you  another  Helper.'''' 

The  word  in  the  original  Greek  translated  here  in  King 
James'  version,  "  Comforter^^  is  literally  a  passive  form  and 
means  "  called  toxvards.''^ 

Origen  and  Chrysostom  were  the  first  to  interpret  the 
word  as  meaning  "  Comforter."  Their  influence  resulted  in 
the  adoption  of  this  meaning  in  the  Latin  Vulgate  through 
which  it  became  the  established  rendering  in  all  the  Eng- 
lish versions. 

To-day,  however,  it  is  acknowledged  that  the  passive 
form  of  the  word  should  have  a  passive  meaning,  "  he  who 
is  called  as  a  support  or  upholder." 

14  :  17.     "  The  Spirit  of  truth. ''^ 

This  expression  serves  to  explain  what  Jesus  means  by 
the  "  Helper." 

Teaching  by  the  medium  of  language  can  give  only  a 
meagre  and  partial  idea  of  divine  things.  However  skil- 
fully a  medium  might  be  used,  it  can  produce  at  the  most 
only  an  image  of  the  truth  in  the  mind  of  the  hearer.  It  is 
for  this  reason  Jesus  compares  the  instruction  he  has  been 


230  S.   JOHN. 

giving  them,  to  the  teaching  of  truth  under  the  form  of 
illuslrations  (S.  John  1 6  :  25). 

To  receive  the  spirit  of  truth  into  heart  and  soul,  on  the 
other  hand,  a  moral  preparation  is  necessary.  The  soul  in 
which  he  comes  to  dwell  must  be  withdrawn  from  the  sphere 
of  profane  things.  Accordingly  Jesus  has  just  reminded  his 
disciples  of  this  important  requisite.  "  Keep  my  command- 
ments," he  has  just  enjoined  upon  them,  and  here  again  he 
has  said  of  the  Spirit  that  the  world  cannot  receive  him. 

Heretofore,  Jesus  living  wz//i  the  disciples  had  been  their 
Helper.  Hereafter  they  are  to  have  the  Helper  in  their 
own  hearts.  The  Helper  will  still  be  Jesus,  but  Jesus,  not 
according  to  the  flesh,  but  according  to  the  Spirit  (S. 
John  15  :  26 ;  16  :  13 ;  I  S.  John  5  :  6). 

1 4 :  20.  *'  In  that  day  you  will  learn  that  I  am  in  my 
Fat  her y 

They  have  asked  for  a  manifestation  of  tlie  Father. 
They  are  here  reminded  again  that  the  Spirit  should  so 
bring  the  life  of  Christ  to  their  heart  that  in  it  they  would 
recognize  the  manifestation  of  the  Father.  They  need  seek 
no  longer  for  a  showing  forth  of  God  from  without.  For  in 
the  depths  of  their  inmost  lives  they  can  cry  :  ••  Abba, 
Father." 

14:  21.  **  He  who  has  my  commandments  and  is  keeping 
them  is  the  one  who  is  loving  me" 

In  these  words  we  see  the  successive  degrees  which  lead 
up  to  the  full  showing  forth  of  Christ  in  the  hearts  of  men. 
The  first  step  is  the  moral  apprehension  and  practical 
observance  of  our  Lord's  commandments. 

The  next  step  is  the  practical  receptivity  of  the   Father's 


NOTES.  231 

love.     He  who  loves  Christ  possesses  this,  and  so  there  is  a 
special  sense  in  which  the  Father  loves  him, 

14 :  24.  "  He  who  does  not  love  me  does  not  keep  viy 
zvordsy 

Jesus  has  already  shown  how  the  Father  and  the  Son  can 
take  up  their  abode  in  the  hearts  of  the  believers.  He  now 
shows  why  they  cannot  take  up  their  abode  in  the  hearts  of 
those  of  the  spirit  of  the  world. 

He  who  does  not  love  Christ  does  not  keep  his  word. 

Christ's  word  is  the  Father's  also.  He  who  has  rejected 
the  love  of  God  as  revealed  in  his  Son  has  of  himself  closed 
the  channels  of  communion  with  God.  God  cannot  dwell 
with  him  because  there  is  nothing  in  him  which  can  be 
receptive  of  the  Divine  Presence. 

15:2.  "  Every  branch  which  bears  fruit,  he  keeps  trim- 
ming.''^ 

Every  fruitful  branch  must  be  trimmed.  In  the  spiritual 
training  of  Christ's  disciples,  natural  impulses  and  affections 
must  be  checked.  Everything  detrimental  to  their  growth 
in  grace  must  be  removed  from  their  lives.  Everything 
which  can  misdirect  or  weaken  the  energy  of  the  spiritual 
life  and  diminish  its  fruitfulness  must  be  taken  away  even 
though  this  can  be  done  only  by  a  pang  as  sharp  as  the  edge 
of  the  pruner's  knife. 

15  :4.     "  The  branch  cannot  bear  fruit  by  itself.'''' 
The  branch  apart  from  the  vine  has  no  original  source  of 
life.     So   it   is    in  the    spiritual   life  of  men.     Apart  from 
Christ,  they  have  no  original  source  of  life  and  fruitfulness. 

15:11.     "  That  my  joy  may  be  in  you." 

The  joy  here  referred  to  is  the  joy  which  Christ  himself 


232  S.   JOHN. 

possessed  in  the  consciousness  of  his  love  to  the  Father  and 
of  the  Father's  love  to  him. 

The  brightness  of  that  joy  lit  up  the  darkest  hours  of  his 
human  life.  It  is  his  will  that  it  shall  liglit  up  theirs.  In 
the  consciousness  of  their  love  to  God  and  of  God's  love  to 
them  they  shall  have  a  joy  which  no  sorrow  can  ever  over- 
come. 

15  :  17.  "  I  give  y  oil  these  cojumandments  so  that  you  may 
love  each  other y 

The  work  which  Jesus  exhorts  to,  is  all  love.  It  is  love 
in  its  hidden  source,  the  love  of  the  Father.  It  is  love  in 
its  first  manifestation,  the  love  of  Christ.  It  is  love  in  its 
full  outpouring,  the  love  of  believers  for  each  other.  Love 
is  its  root,  its  stem,  its  fruit. 

16 ;  12.     "  You  cannot  bear  them  nozu.'^ 

The  fact  that  there  were  truths  Christ  himself  could  not 
teach  is  a  lesson  men  who  profess  to  teach  in  his  name  have 
altogether  too  seldom  well  learnt.  S.  Paul  found  in  it  a  good 
rule  for  his  own  practical  guidance.  He  was  not  forgetful 
to  feed  men  with  milk  when  they  could  not  bear  stronger 
food  (I  Cor.  3:2). 

16  :  14.  <*  He  will  take  of  mine  and  will  announce  it  to 
you.''^ 

We  are  not  to  understand  by  this  that  the  revelation  of 
Christ  as  he  made  it  himself  was  imperfect.  Nothing  was 
wanting  in  his  revelation  of  God.  It  was  want  of  under- 
standing in  his  disciples  to  take  it  in.  This  is  what  necessi- 
tates the  coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  make  his  revelation  to 
be  appreciated.  By  illumining  the  heart,  the  Spirit  brings 
home  to  it  the  things  of  Christ,  and  opens  the  eyes  of  its 


NOTES.  233 

understanding  to  know  him  whom  to  know  aright  is  life 
eternal. 

17:6.  "  /  made  knotvn  thy  name  to  the  men  thou  gavest 
tney 

The  name  of  God,  "  Jehovah,"  was  an  object  of  so  much 
fear  among  the  Jews  they  did  not  dare  to  pronounce  it,  and 
when  they  came  across  it  in  the  sacred  text  they  supplied  its 
place  with  *'  Adonai."  Jesus  has  dissipated  these  fears  and 
has  revealed  to  men  the  great  fact  that  the  proper  and  true 
name  of  the  Divine  Being  is  •'  Father,"  and  he  has  shown  us 
that  our  Father's  chief  attribute  is  love. 

17  :  15,  "  I  am  not  asking  thee  to  take  them  out  of  the 
world.'''' 

The  Christian  ideal  is  not  freedom  from  work.  It  is 
strength  to  do  it.  It  is  not  freedom  from  temptation.  It  is 
power  to  overcome  it.  It  is  not  freedom  from  suffering.  It 
is  strength  to  endure  it,  nay,  rather,  it  is  joy  in  an  abiding 
sense  of  the  Father's  love.  It  is  not  absence  from  the 
world.  It  is  grace  to  make  it  the  better  for  our  life  and 
daily  presence  in  it. 

17:21.  "  That  the  zvorld  may  get  to  know  that  thou  didst 
send  me. ^^ 

The  union  of  believers  with  God  and  with  each  other  is 
the  proof  of  the  divine  origin  of  Christianity.  By  the  sight 
of  this  union  the  world  is  to  be  led  to  believe  in  Christ. 
The  brotherhood  of  Christians  has  always  been  the  witness 
of  their  common  Fatherhood  in  God.  The  divisions  of 
Christians  on  the  other  hand,  declares  plainly  their  weak- 
ness and  furnishes  excuse  for  the  world's  not  believing  in 
Christ, 

See  note  on  13  :  35. 


234  S.   JOHN. 

l8  :  6.     "  T/iey  %ue7it  backward  and  fell  to  the  groundy 

Guilt  trembles  before  the  calmness  of  innocence.  Man 
falls  to  the  ground  in  the  presence  of  God. 

Once  before  it  had  been  said  by  Jesus"  enemies  :  "  Never 
did  a  man  speak  like  this  man."  They  had  returned  with- 
out their  prey.  Again  they  have  come  to  take  him  by  force. 
Conscience  paralyzes  their  evil  intentions.  They  fall  before 
him  as  the  trees  of  the  wood  before  the  blast. 

He  surrenders  to  them,  however,  because  his  time  has 
come. 

i8  :  9.  "  Of  those  thou  hast  given  me  I  lost  not  one" 
It  is  quite  remarkable  that  in  the  terrible  drama  now  begun 
not  one  of  the  disciples  was  arrested  nor  made  to  suffer  with 
his  Master.  To  the  end,  it  is  Jesus'  will  to  shield  them  and 
to  be  the  only  one  to  undergo  the  wicked  treatment  and  the 
death  following.  It  is  only  after  Calvary,  the  disciples 
have  to  follow  the  way  of  sorrow  and  become  martyrs  to  his 
cause. 

18  :  37.  "  For  this  purpose  have  I  come  into  the  world  to 
bear  witness  to  the  truth." 

Jesus  founds  his  Kingdom  among  men  by  his  prophetic 
work.  The  Truth  is  the  sceptre  he  holds  over  the  earth. 
This  mode  of  conquest  is  directly  opposite  to  that  by  which 
the  Roman  dominion  was  gained.  So  that,  as  in  12  :  25,  the 
judgment  of  the  genius  of  Greece  is  declared,  here,  too,  is 
found  the  judgment  of  the  genius  of  Rome.  Here  is  the 
formal  accomplishment  of  S.  Paul's  saying :  "  The  spiritual 
man  judges  everything." 

18:38.     "  What  is  truth?" 

Pilate's  exclamation  appears  to  be  but  the  profession  of 


NOTES.  235 

a  frivolous  scepticism.  It  is  such  a  scepticism  as  is  often 
met  with  in  the  man  of  the  world,  and  more  especially  in  the 
worldly  minded  statesman. 

If  Pilate  had  seriously  sought  truth,  this  was  the  time  to 
find  it.  He  could  not  have  turned  away  from  Jesus  so  un- 
ceremoniously and  abruptly. 

19:6.  "  Ta^e  him  yourselves  and  crucify  him.  For  I 
find  no  cause  for  a  charge  against  him.''^ 

Three  years  did  not  pass  before  Vitellius,  proconsul  of 
Syria,  sent  Marcellus  to  take  charge  of  affairs  in  Judea,  and 
ordered  Pilate  to  Rome  to  clear  himself  of  accusations 
brought  against  him.  The  terrors  to  which  he  had  suc- 
cumbed in  sacrificing  Jesus  became  realities.  Condemned, 
deprived  of  his  property,  he  was  exiled.  On  the  banks  of 
the  Rhone  at  Vienna  there  is  still  pointed  out  a  high  pyramid 
which  passes  for  the  tomb  of  Pilate.  According  to  certain 
traditions  it  was  there,  pursued  by  remorse,  the  exile 
violently  ended  his  life.  Other  legends  represent  him  as 
finding  in  his  misfortunes  the  favor  of  Jesus.  And  so  the 
Abyssinian  Church  places  him  among  its  list  of  saints. 

20  :  17.     "  Do  not  keep  clinging  to  ;;/^." 

The  tense  of  the  verb  is  present.  In  the  original,  there- 
fore, it  has  not  reference  to  a  single  act,  but  to  a  continuous 
habit. 

The  fact  is,  Magdalene's  act  supposed  a  condition  not  yet 
accomplished.  He  had  not  returned  to  earth  to  abide  per- 
manently with  his  disciples.  For  he  had  not  yet  ascended 
to  the  Father.  The  permanent  union  with  him  we  are  to 
enjoy  is  in  his  presence  in  the  soul.  The  spirit  of  Mary 
Magdalene's  act,  on  the  contrary,  would  prevent  such  a 
presence. 


236  S.    JOHN. 

The  coming  of  the  Helper  depends  upon  Jesus'  going 
to  the  Father.  Magdalene  is  clinging  to  the  visible  pres- 
ence. And  how  many  of  us  are  loath  to  learn  the  truth  so 
hard  to  learn  :     "  It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away." 

20  :  19.     "  Peace  be  utito  you.^^ 

These  well-known  words  of  greeting  would  come  to  the 
disciples  now  as  Mary's  name  came  to  her  as  seen  in  verse 
sixteen  of  this  same  chapter.  As  the  familiar  tones  fall  upon 
the  ear,  they  bring  the  assurance  of  the  beloved  Teacher's 
presence. 

The  words  bear  also  another  message  to  them.  They 
come  as  the  voice  of  one  from  the  world  of  spirit.  The 
living  have  often  before  tried  in  vain  to  see  into  the  dark- 
ness beyond  the  grave.  Now  the  living  has  once  for  all 
penetrated  that  darkness,  driven  away  its  fear,  and  brought 
back  the  message  of  peace.  Here  is  the  message  of  the 
conqueror  of  the  grave,  the  declaration  of  the  victory  over 
sin.  It  is  the  message  of  an  at-one-ment  between  God  and 
man.  And  so  as  the  declaration  for  all  mankind  it  has  come 
through  the  Apostles  of  peace  to  all  the  sons  of  men. 

See  also  note  on  14:  27. 

20 :  21.  "  Just  as  the  Father  has  sent  me  out,  1  also  send 
youy 

The  disciples  stand  in  the  same  relation  to  Jesus  as  he 
stands  to  the  Father.  He  declares  to  them,  and  they  are  to 
declare  to  the  world  in  his  name,  the  fulness  of  the  Father's 
love,  the  peace  between  man  and  God  witnessed  to  in  his 
life  and  death. 

Jesus  and  the  disciples  stand  also  in  the  same  relation  to 
the  world.  The  world  will  hate,  persecute,  and  kill  them 
as  it  hated,  persecuted  and  killed  him.     They  are  sent  as  he 


NOTES.  2'61 

was  sent,  however,  and  they  will  find  in  his  presence  in 
their  souls,  the  support  and  peace  needful  for  strength  and 
encouragement  to  carry  on  the  work  in  hand. 

"  Receive  the  Holy  Spirit^ 

The  natural  meaning  of  these  words  is :  "  Receive  an 
outpouring  of  the  Spirit."  This  is  not  simply  a  promise  of 
the  gift  of  the  Spirit.  Neither  is  it  the  outpouring  of  the 
Spirit  in  its  fulness.  It  is  an  earnest  of  that  outpouring 
which  is  to  take  place  at  Pentecost. 

20  :  30,  31.  "Many  other  signs  did  Jesus  do  in  the  presence 
of  the  disciples,  which  are  not  written  in  this  booky 

It  has  not  been  S.  John's  intention  to  give  a  complete  and 
exhaustive  picture  of  the  life  of  Jesus.  From  the  great  mass 
of  facts  he  can  lay  his  hands  on,  he  selects  only  those  ap- 
propriate to  that  side  of  his  life  he  wished  to  bring  into 
prominence  with  reference  to  what  others  have  said  and 
written. 


I.  S.  JOHN.— NOTES. 


I.  S.  JOHN— NOTES. 

This  Letter  is  not  addressed  to  any  particular  Church  or 
individual,  but  to  the  whole  Church  throughout  the  world. 
It  is  as  suitable  to  the  Church  in  America  at  the  beginning 
of  the  twentieth  Century  as  it  was  to  that  of  Ephesus  in  the 
first. 

Introduction. 
I  :  1-4. 

Like  the  first  eighteen  verses  of  his  Gospel,  so  these  four 
verses  form  the  introduction  to  this  Epistle  and  like  them 
again  they  have  the  same  kind  of  Hebrew  Parallelism, 

Like  the  introduction  to  the  Gospel,  so  this  introduction,  tells 
us  that  what  the  Apostle  intends  to  write  about  is  the  Word 
of  Life.  The  authority  on  which  the  Apostle  writes  is  also 
given.  It  is  his  own  personal  experience.  The  purpose  is 
also  here  given.     It  is  to  complete  his  and  their  happiness. 

The  construction  is  somewhat  involved  and  prolonged. 
The  four  verses  form  three  stanzas.  The  first  and  third 
give  the  complete  sense,  and  are  as  strophe  and  anti-strophe 
to  each  other.  The  second  is  a  digression  in  the  way  of 
explanation. 

Throughout  this  section  S.  John  uses  the  plural  as  speak- 
ing in   the  name  of  the  whole  Apostolic  body  of  which  he 
was  the  last  surviving  member, 
241 


242  1   S.   JOHN. 

1:1,     "  IV/iat  7vasfro7n  the  beginning.^^ 

The  similarity  here  to  the  opening  of  S.  John's  Gospel  is 
noteworthy.  But  the  thought  is  somewhat  difierent.  There 
the  point  is  that  the  Word  existed  before  the  creation. 
Here  it  is  that  the  Word  existed  before  the  Incarnation. 

Was. 

This  does  not  mean,  came  into  existence.  It  means  was 
already  existing.  Christ  was  from  all  eternity.  Antichrists 
have  arisen  in  time. 

What  we  have  heard. 

With  these  words  we  pass  from  eternity  to  time. 

What  we  have  seen  with  our  eyes. 

Note  the  climax.  Seeing  is  more  than  hearing.  Then 
in  the  next  line  the  thought  of  having  time  to  look  at  Christ 
and  then  to  handle  him  brings  the  climax  to  completion. 
In  other  words,  we  see  here  the  purpose  of  the  Apostle  with 
the  full  force  of  the  language  at  his  command  to  insist  on 
the  reality  of  the  Incarnation.  He  speaks  from  personal 
knowledge,  he  tells  us,  and  that  knowledge  is  based  on  the 
combined  evidence  of  all  the  senses.  Compare  S.  John 
I  :  14. 

What  we  looked  at  and  our  hands    handled. 

In  the  use  of  the  word  handled  we  have  here  a  clear  ref- 
erence to  the  risen  Christ  (S.  John  20  :  27).  This  reference 
is  the  more  noteworthy  because  the  fact  of  the  Resurrection 
itself  is  not  mentioned  in  this  Letter. 

The  argument  here  has  special  force  as  coming  from  the 
Apostle  who  had  lain  on  the  Lord's  breast.  No  greater 
proof  of  the  reality  of  his  body  before  and  after  his  resurrec- 
tion could  be  given. 

About  the  zuord,  the  Life. 

Word  has  the  same  meaning  as  it  has  in  S.  John's  Gospel. 


NOTES.  243 

It  means  tlie  Son  of  God,  in  whom  had  been  hidden  from 
eternity  all  that  God  had  to  say  to  man,  and  so  he  was  the 
expression  of  the  Nature  and  Will  of  God, 

And  lell yoit  the  Life,  the  eternal. 

The  repetition  of  the  article  brings  forward  separately  and 
distinctly  here  the  two  notions  of  life  and  eternity. 

This  is  a  characteristic  expression  of  S.  John's.  But  this 
fact  is  not  so  well  understood  as  it  ought  to  be  from  the  fact 
that  "  everlasting  "  has  so  often  been  used  in  place  of  it. 

Eternal  life  with  S.  John  has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with 
time.  It  depends  altogether  on  our  relation  to  Jesus  Christ. 
He  tells  us  over  and  over  again  that  eternal  life  can  be 
possessed  in  this  world.  See  3:15;  5  :  1 1, 13,  20.  He  never 
applies  «'  eternal  "  to  anything  but  life,  except  in  Rev.  14:  6, 
where  he  speaks  of  an  eternal  Gospel. 

3.     <'  What  we  have  seen  and  heard  we  tell  you  ahoy 

The  ideas  of  this  half  of  the  sentence  is  not  the  same  as 
that  contained  in  verse  one.  The  first  stanza  brings  out  the 
thought  of  what  the  Apostle  has  to  declare.  This  stanza 
brings  out  the  thought  of  ivhy  he  declares  it, — to  promote 
mutual  fellowship. 

The  thought  here  expressed  is  not  carried  out  in  this 
Letter.  So  we  shall  miss  the  purport  of  it  if  we  do  not  bear 
constantly  in  mind  that  it  was  written  as  a  companion  of 
the  Gospel. 

7'hat you  also  may  have  Coiiununion  with  tis. 

Compare  S.  John  17  :  II.  Christ's  prayer  and  S.  John's 
purpose  were  one  and  the  same. 

And  with  his  Son  Jesus  Christ. 

Two  fundamental  truths  are  here  clearly  laid  down  at  the 
outset, — the    distinctness    of    personality    and   equality  of 


244  1   >S'.    JOHN. 

dignity  between  the  Father  and  the  Son;  the  identity  of  the 
eternal  Son  of  God  with  the  historical  person  Jesus  Christ. 

God  is  Light. 
l:  5-2:  28. 
This  section  is  largely  directed  against  the  Gnostic  teach- 
ing that  to  the  enlightened  man  all  conduct  is  morally  in- 
difterent.  Against  every  form  of  this  teaching  the  Apostle 
never  wearies  of  declaring  the  divine  truth  committed  to 
liim. 

The  character  of  a  man's  conduct  always  shows  whether 
he  is  truly  enlightened  or  not. 

1:5.  **  And  the  message  which  we  have  heard  from  him  is 
thisr 

Here  again  is  a  striking  parallel  between  the  Gospel  and 
this  Letter.  After  the  introduction  in  the  Gospel  (S.  John 
1 :  19  )  the  sentence  with  which  the  main  story  begins  is 
similar  in  form  to  this  which  begins  the  main  part  of  this 
Letter. 

God  is  light. 

This  is  the  subject  of  the  first  main  division  of  the  Letter 
as  "God  is  Love"  is  of  the  second.  This  verse  stands  in 
the  same  relation  to  the  first  great  division  of  the  Letter  as 
the  first  four  verses  do  to  the  whole  of  it. 

No  one  tells  us  so  much  about  the  nature  of  God  as 
S.  John.  Other  writers  tell  us  what  God  does  and  what 
attributes  he  possesses.  S.  John  tells  us  what  he  is.  There 
are  three  statements  in  the  Bible  which  stand  alone  as 
revelations  of  the  Nature  of  God  and  they  are  all  in  the 
writings  of  S.  John  :  "  God  is  spirit,"  "  God  is  light,"  God 
is  love  "  (S.  John  4 :  24 ;   i  S.  John  1:5;  4:8). 


NOTES.  245 

As  the  result  of  God's  light  we  have  intelligence  and 
holiness.     Compare  2:  13,  14,  21,  27;  ^-.t^. 

There  is  no  darkness  at  all  in  him. 

In  the  introduction  to  S.  John's  Gospel  we  have  the  same 
great  thoughts  in  succession  as  here :  Word,  life,  light, 
darkness. 

S,  John  is  here  laying  the  foundation  of  Christian  ethics, 
and  the  very  first  principle  he  would  have  us  learn  is  that 
there  is  a  God  who  intellectually,  morally  and  spiritually  is 
light. 

1:6.     "  Keep  going  about  in  darkness." 

A  life  of  moral  darkness  can  no  more  have  communion 
with  God,  than  a  life  in  a  coal  mine  can  have  communion 
with  the  sun. 

1:7.     «'  As  he  is  in  the  light.^^ 

A  life  of  moral  light  involves  not  only  communion  with 
God  but  also  with  our  brother  men. 

2 :  I.     '^  My  little  children.'' 

This  does  not  mean  to  indicate  that  he  is  addressing  those 
young  in  years.     It  is  a  term  of  endearment. 

He  has  shown  that  even  Christians  commit  sin.  Now  he 
goes  on  to  point  out  the  remedy  for  sin  and  to  exhort  us  to 
keep  from  it. 

A7td  if  any  one  sins. 

S.  John  is  not  here  intimating  to  the  intending  sinner  that 
sin  is  a  light  thing.  He  is  rather  speaking  to  the  penitent 
sinner.  He  is  telling  him  that  sin  is  not  irremediable. 
Sin  and  its  remedy  therefore  are  stated  in  immediate 
proximity,  just  as  they  are  found  in  life. 


246  1   S.   JOHN. 

Not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for  the  whole   world. 

Here  again  we  have  a  thought  analogous  to  what  is 
found  in  the  Gospel.  Compare  S.  John  17:20-23;  4:24; 
I  :  29.  Believers  have  no  exclusive  right  to  the  merits  of 
Christ.  There'  is  no  Pharasaic  exclusiveness  in  any  true 
followers  of  Christ,  nor  indeed  can  there  be. 

2:3.  "  By  cojitiuuivg  to  keep  his  commaiidmeiitsr 
Divorced  from  holiness  of  life  no  enlightenment  can  be  a 
true  knowledge  of  God.  In  other  words,  in  morals,  knowl- 
edge without  practice  is  worthless.  Not  pure  speculation 
alone,  but  true  and  right  conduct,  is  the  aim  of  every 
philosophy  worth  the  name,  as  well  as  of  every  theology. 

There  is  then  only  one  infallible  way  of  proving  to  our- 
selves that  we  know'  God,  and  that  is  by  doing  his  will  in 
sincerity  and  in  truth. 

2:11.  "  The  darkness  has  blinded  his  eyesV 
Animals  kept  in  the  dark  become  blind.  This  has 
often  happened  to  ponies  and  mules  kept  constantly  in  coal 
mines.  The  organ  never  used  loses  its  power.  It  is  the 
same  in  the  moral  sphere.  The  conscience  which  is  con- 
stantly ignored  at  last  ceases  to  act, 

2:13.     "  Yon  have  overcoine  the  tuicked  one.'''' 
Compare  S.John   16:13,  and  remember  that  throughout 
both  the   Gospel  and  this   Letter,  S.  John   always  regards 
eternal  life  as  a  prize  already  won  by  the  believer  (  S.  John 
3:36;  5:24;  6:47,  54;   17:3). 

2:  14.     *'  IVhat  God  told  you  continues  in  you." 

Here  is  an  echo  of  S,  John  15:7.     This  is  the  secret  of 


NOTES.  247 

their  strength  and  the  source  of  their  victory.  They  con- 
quer because  they  are  strong  and  they  are  strong  because 
what  God  told  them  is  in  their  hearts.  God's  will  as  re- 
vealed in  Scripture  is  a  permanent  power  within  them. 

2:15.     "  Do  not  love  the  worldy 

So  speaks  S.  John  here.  But  in  his  Gospel  he  tells  us 
God  loved  the  world.  Why  should  we  be  told  not  to  do 
what  God  did  ?  We  are  not.  World  is  used  in  two 
different  senses  in  each  place.  God  does  not  love  the 
world  we  are  told  not  to  love.  He  cannot  love  what  is  here 
referred  to  as  the  "  desire  of  the  flesh,  and  the  desire  of  the 
eyes,  and  this  life's  love  of  display."  He  does,  however, 
love  men,  no  matter  how  hostile  to  him  they  have  become, 
and  so  must  we.  Compare  S.  Matthew  6 :  24  with  what  is 
here  said  and  i  S.  John  4:4. 

2  :  24.  "  Let  what  you  heard — continue  in  youy 
The  word  here  translated  continue  is  translated  by  three 
different  words  in  King  James'  version,  abide,  remain,  con- 
tinue. In  S.  John  i  :  39  ;  6  :  56  ;  14  :  10,  17,  it  is  translated 
dwell.  In  the  same  Gospel  4:40;  21 :  22,  23,  it  is  trans- 
lated tarry.  In  the  same  Gospel  6 :  27,  it  is  endure. 
In  the  same  Gospel  14:25,  it  is  be  present.  By 
doing  this  the  King  James  translators  lose  the  emphasis 
gained  by  repetition  which  is  one  of  the  prominent  charac- 
teristics of  S.  John's  style.  They  also  fail  to  convey  to  the 
American  mind  a  characteristic  expression  of  S.  John's 
style  of  deep  and  precious  meaning. 

2  :  27.     "  You  do  not  need  any  one  to  teach  you.'''' 

S.  John  is  writing  to  well  instructed  Christians.     He  is 


248  1   S.    JOHN. 

not  writing  to  give  them  knowledge  of  the  first  principles 
of  Christ,  but  to  confirm  and  enforce  what  they  have  all 
along  known. 

God  is  Love, 
2  :29-5  :  12, 
3:1.     *'Love." 

This  is  the  key-note  of  this  whole  section. 

7Vie  children  of  God. 

We  must  not  confuse  S.  Paul's  expression  "  sons  of  God  " 
with  S.  John's  «'  children  of  God,"  Both  Apostles  tell  us 
the  fundamental  relation  of  believers  to  God  is  a  filial  one. 
But  S.  Paul  calls  our  attention  to  the  legal  side,  S.  John  to 
the  natural  side.  The  latter  is  the  closer,  and  yet  we  are 
not  to  overlook  the  fact  that  according  to  Roman  Law 
adoption  was  absolutely  equivalent  to  actual  parentage. 

3:4.     "  Whoever  keeps  sinning  keeps  acti7tg  lawlessly y 
Sin  and  lawlessness  are  convertible  terms. 

3:6.     "  Whoever  continues  in  him  does  not  keep  sinning." 
This    does    not    mean   the    Christian  never   sins.     The 
Christian  does  sometimes  sin  (i  :  8-10^.     It  simply  means 
what  it  says.     The  Christian  does  not  keep  sinning. 

What  S.  John  here  puts  forth  as  a  series  of  aphorisms, 
which  mutually  qualify  and  explain  each  other,  S,  Paul  puts 
forth  in  a  dialectical  argument  (Rom.  7  :  20;  Gal.  2 :  20). 

3  :  9.     "  P/e  cannot  keep  sinning." 

It  is  a  moral  impossibility  for  a  child  of  God  to  go  on 
sinning.  It  is  only  because  of  the  imperfection  of  our 
childhood  in  Christ  that  any 'sin  at  all  is  possible  in  us. 

3  :  10.     "  77ie  children  of  God  are  made  knozvn," 


NOTES.  249 

A  man's  principles  are  invisible.  Their  results  in  action, 
however,  are  open  to  all.     Compare  S.  Matthew  7  :   16-20. 

He  who  does  not  keep  loving  his  brother. 

To  love  God  is  to  love  our  brother.  Compare  Galatians 
5:  14. 

3  :  14.  "  IVe  know  we  have  passed  out  of  death  into  life 
because  we  love  the  brothers.^'' 

Love  means  life.     Hate  means  death. 

It  was  Cain  who  passed  from  life  into  death.  Abel 
really  entered  into  life.  And  so  it  is  very  truly  written  of 
him  :  "Although  he  is  dead  he  is  still  talking  to  us."  And 
so  as  Philo  so  well  puts  it,  "  Cain  really  killed,  not  his 
brother,  but  himself." 

Left  to  himself,  man  naturally  falls  into  selfishness.  This 
involves  enmity  towards  those  whose  claims  clash  with  his. 
To  love  others,  notwithstanding  this,  is  proof  that  this  nat- 
ural state  has  been  left.  Life  and  love  are  two  aspects  of 
the  same  fact  in  the  moral  world,  as  life  and  growth  are  in 
the  physical.  The  one  marks  the  state,  the  other  the  ac- 
tivity. 

3:15.     "  Whoever  is  a  hater  of  his  brother  is  a  murderer.'^ 

S.  John  here  passes  from  love  to  hate.  There  is  no  neu- 
tral ground.  All  is  either  light  or  darkness,  of  God  or  of 
the  evil  one. 

A  Christian  can  be  neither  loving  nor  hating,  any  more 
than  a  plant  can  be  neither  growing  nor  dying. 

The  motives  of  the  hater  and  of  the  murderer  are  the 
same.  The  fact  that  one  is  deterred  by  laziness  or  fear  from 
carrying  out  his  hatred  into  homicidal  action,  and  tlie  other 
is  not,  makes  no   difference  in  the  moral  character  of  the 


250  1   S.    JOHN. 

men,  though  it  makes  all  the  difference  in  the  eyes  of  the 
law.  This  assertion  is  only  applying  to  the  sixth  command- 
ment the  principle  which  the  Lord  himself  applies  to  the 
seventh  (S.  Matt.  5  :  28). 

3:16.  "  //  was  in  this  way  we  came  to  know  love.'''' 
We  have  got  our  knowledge  of  what  love  is  in  the  con- 
crete example  of  Christ's  self-sacrificing  life  and  death. 
Christ  is  the  archetype  of  self-sacrificing  love.  Cain  is  the 
same  of  brother-sacrificing  hate.  Love  and  hate  are  known 
by  their  deeds. 

3  :  22.     "  Whatever  we  ask  we  receive  from  him.^^ 
When  a  good  conscience  gives  us  boldness  towards  God 
our  prayers  are  granted,  because  children  in  such  close  re- 
lations to  their  heavenly  Father  cannot  ask  anything  con- 
trary to  his  will. 

3  :  24.  '« He  who  keeps  his  commandments  continues  in 
hi  my 

Here  again  the  Apostle  insists  on  the  main  principle  of 
his  exposition  of  Christian  Ethics.  Conduct  is  not  only  not 
a  matter  of  indifference.  It  is  all  important.  We  may 
possess  many  kinds  of  enlightenment,  intellectual  and 
spiritual.  But  there  is  no  union  with  God,  no  true  and 
genuine  knowledge  of  him,  without  obedience  to  his  will. 

From  the  Spirit. 

This  is  the  source  from  which  all  true  knowledge  comes. 

4  :  1-6.  This  section  is  an  amplification  of  the  verse  which 
immediately  precedes  it. 

4:1.     "  Do  not  believe  every  spirit.''^ 

The  Apostle  has  just  been  speaking  of  the  Spirit  by  whom 


NOTES.  251 

we  come  to  know  that  God  is  dwelling  in  us.  He  now  in- 
timates there  are  other  spirits  also  who  need  to  be  put  to 
the  test.  In  those  days  as  in  this  there  were  men  who 
were  turning  the  faith  in  spiritual  influence  to  an  immoral 
and  mischievous  account. 

There  are  myriads  of  influences  about  us  continually 
which  do  not  act  upon  our  senses  but  upon  our  spirits. 
They  do  not  proceed  from  things  which  may  be  seen  and 
handled,  but  from  the  spirits  of  men.  On  week  days  as 
well  as  on  Sundays  we  are  subject  to  the  same  kinds  of 
spiritual  influences.  But  many  of  these  are  not  good. 
Many  of  them  are  not  real.  They  are  either  the  delusions 
of  fanatical  enthusiasts  or  the  lies  of  deliberate  impostors. 
We  must  therefore  put  them  to  the  test.  We  must  also  re- 
member that  spiritual  or  wonderful  powers  are  no  absolute 
guarantee  of  the  possession  of  truth  (Deut.  13:  1-5).  We 
are  not  to  judge  of  teaching  by  wonders  but  wonders  by 
teaching  (Gal.  i :  8j. 

4:4.     "  Have  overcome  them." 

The  Christian's  work  in  this  world  is  to  conquer  the 
worldly  spirit  abroad  in  it.  He  must  fight  manfully  against 
that  view  of  life  which  ignores  or  disgraces  God,  He  must 
contend  unceasingly  against  every  moral  evil  and  intellectual 
falsehood  which  is  organized  and  marshalled  by  the  great 
enemy  of  our  salvation. 


4:6.     '•  He  who  is  getting  to  know  God  keeps  hearing  us.^^ 
Here  we  see  coming  to  the  surface  that  quiet  confidence 

of  conscious  strength  which   underlies  the   whole  of   this 

Letter  as  it  does  also  the  Gospel. 


252  1   S.   JOHN. 

4:7.     '•  Beloved,  let  us  keep  Imnjtg  each  other." 

For  the  third  and  last  time  the  Apostle  introduces  the- 
subject  of  brotherly  love  (3:   10-18;  2:  7-11). 

Whoever  keeps  loving  has  been  begotten  by  God. 

God  is  the  source  of  all  love.  So  whatever  love  a  man 
has  comes  from  God. 

4:8.     "  God  is  love." 

This  is  the  third  of  S.  John's  great  statements  concerning 
the  nature  of  God  :  God  is  Spirit  (S.  John  4:  24);  God 
is  light  (I  S.  John  1:5),  and  God  is  love. 

Of  the  three  great  truths  this  is  the  last  but  at  the  same 
time  the  first,  first  in  importance,  first,  because  without  it 
the  others  are  as  nothing  to  us,  first,  because  it  not  only 
makes  his  nature  far  more  clearly  known  to  us,  it  brings 
him  very  close  to  us.  By  it  the  Spirit  is  shown  to  be  a  per- 
sonal being,* the  Light  partakes  of  warmth  and  life. 

To  the  heathen  world  God  is  a  powerful,  terrible,  and 
often  a  cruel  being.  His  wrath  must  be  deprecated.  His 
ill  will  must  be  placated.  To  the  Israelites  of  old  he  was  a 
just  and  a  jealous  God.  He  was,  indeed,  also  merciful. 
Yet  nothing  more  was  known  of  his  inmost  being  than  *«  I 
am  that  I  am." 

To  the  Christian  alone  is  he  known  as  Love. 

In  no  book  of  the  New  Testament  does  this  word  love 
occur  so  often  as  in  these  two  and  a  half  chapters  (3  :  I- 
5  :  12).  In  no  book  of  the  New  Testament,  except  the 
fourth  Gospel  does  the  verb  to  love  occur  half  so  many 
times  as  here. 

"  If  nothing  were  said  in  praise  of  love  throughout  the 
pages  of  this  Letter,  if  nothing  whatever  throughout  the 
other   pages   of  Scripture,  and   this  one  thing  only  were  all 


NOTES.  253 

we  were  told  by  the  voice  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  *  For  God 
is  love '  ;  nothing  more  ought  we  to  require  "  (S.  Augustin). 

4:11.     "  We  also  ought y 

As  children  of  God  we  must  exhibit  his  nature.  We 
must  follow  his  example.  We  must  love  those  whom  he 
loves. 

4:12.     "  His  love  is  perfected  in  us." 
Our  love  for  God  is  developed  and  perfected  by  our  lov- 
ing each  other. 

4:17.     "  ytist  as  he  is  so  also  are  we  in  this  world." 

Our  assurance  with  regard  to  the  judgment  is  not  pre- 
sumption, because  we  have  become  in  character  like  Christ. 
He  need  never  fear  the  judgment  of  Christ  who  by  loving 
has  become  like  Christ. 

Love  moves  towards  others  in  the  spirit  of  self-sacrifice. 
Fear  shrinks  from  others  in  the  spirit  of  self-preservation. 

Perfect  love  excludes  fear  and  fear  prevents  love  from  be- 
ing perfect.  Yet  no  believer's  love  has  ever  been  so  perfect 
as  to  entirely  banish  fear.  But  every  believer  experiences 
that  as  his  love  increases  his  fear  diminishes. 

But  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  servile  fear  is  altogether 
different  from  the  childlike  awe,  which  is  a  necessary  ele- 
ment in  the  creature's  love  for  the  Creator.  And  yet  even 
servile  fear  is  sometimes  necessary  as  a  preparation  for  all 
true  love  of  God. 

4 :  20.     "  Whofji  he  has  seen." 

His  brother  has  been  in  sight  and  remains  in  sight.  God 
has  been  out  of  sight  and  remains  out  of  sight.  "  Out  of 
sight  out  of  mind  "  is  a  saying  which  holds  good  in  morals 


254  1   S.   JOHN. 

and  religion  as  well  as  in  society.  And  if  a  man  fails  in 
duties  which  he  has  ever  before  him  and  are  easy,  how  can 
he  persuade  us  to  believe  he  is  performing  those  duties 
which  are  out  of  sight  and  are  hard  ? 

God  has  commanded  us  to  love  our  brother  men.  If  we 
really  love  him  then  we  will  love  them  (Deut.  6:5; 
Lev.  19:  18;  S.  Luke  10:27;  S.  John  14:  15). 

5:1.  "  Whoever  keeps  believing  that  Jesus  is  the  Christy 
To  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  is  to  believe  that  one  who 
was  known  as  a  man  fulfilled  a  known  and  divine  mission  : 
that  he  who  was  born  and  was  crucified  is  the  anointed,  the 
Messiah  of  Israel,  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  But,  as 
S.  Augustin  so  well  remarks,  belief  without  love  is  the  be- 
lief of  a  demon. 

5:5.  "  Not  with  the  water  only,  but  with  the  water  and 
with  the  bloody 

Christ  came,  not  merely  to  purify  by  his  baptism,  but  to 
give  new  life  by  his  blood.     "  For  the  blood  is  the  life." 

This  Letter  is  the  companion  treatise  of  the  Gospel. 

5:8.     "  Those  who  are  bearing  witness  are  three." 
The  Apostle  is  here  answering  the  misgivings  of  those 
who  fancied  that  when  he,  the  last  of  the  Apostles  was 
gone,  the  Church  would  possess  only  second-hand  evidence 
as  to  the  person  and  mission  of  the  Christ. 

5:11.     "  This  life  is  in  his  Son." 

Eternal  life  has  its  seat  and  source  in  the  Son.  He  is  the 
Prince  or  Author  of  life  (Acts  3 :  15). 


NOTES.  255 

Conclusion  and  Summary. 
5:13-21. 

5  :  14.     "  And  the  boldness  which  we  have." 

For  the  fourth  and  last  time  the  Apostle  touches  on  the 
subject  of  the  Christian's  boldness.  Twice  he  speaks  of  it 
in  connection  with  the  day  of  judgment  (2:28;  4:  17); 
twice  in  connection  with  approaching  God  in  prayer  (3:  21, 
22;  5:  14). 

According  to  his  will. 

It  is  only  when  men  ignorantly  ask  for  what  is  not  good 
for  them  their  prayers  are  denied.  Then  they  are  not  ac- 
cording to  God's  will. 


II.  S.  JOHN.— NOTES. 


II.  S.  JOHN.— NOTES. 

1-3.  Like  most  of  S,  Paul's  letters,  the  letters  of  S. 
Peter,  S.  James,  and  S.  Jude,  and  unlike  the  first  Letter, 
this  Letter  has  a  definite  address  and  greeting. 

1.  «  The  Elder r 

It  is  on  account  of  his  age  the  Apostle  speaks  of  himself 
thus. 

To  the  chosen  lady  ajid  her  children. 

It  is  not  definitely  known  whether  the  word  translated 
lady  refers  to  an  individual  or  to  a  community. 

2.  "  And  with  us  it  will  be  forever.''* 

Here  is  an  echo  of  Christ's  farewell  discourses  (S.  John 
14:  16;   I  S.  John  5  :6). 

3.  "  Favor^  mercy  and  peace.** 

This  same  triplet  of  heavenly  gifts  occurs  again,  and  in 
the  same  order,  in  the  salutations  of  S.  Paul  to  Timothy  and 
Titus. 

In  truth  and  love. 

These  two  words,  so  characteristic  of  S.  John  are  key- 
notes of  this  short  Letter. 

4.  "  Just  as  we  received  cof?if?iandment.'''' 
Commandment  is  the  third  key-note  of  this  Letter.    Love, 

truth,  and   obedience,  are  the  three  leading  ideas.     They 
partly  imply,  partly  supplement  each  other. 
259 


260  2  S.   JOHN. 

6.     "  And  the  love  is  thisy 

In  verse  five  obedience  prompts  love.  Here  love  prompts 
obedience.  This  is  no  vicious  logical  circle,  but  a  healthy 
moral  connection. 

Love  divorced  from  duty  will  run  riot.  Duty  divorced 
from  love  will  starve. 

lo.  "  Do  not  receive  him  into  your  house" 
Charity  must  not  be  shown  to  one  man  in  such  a  way  as 
to  do  injury  to  another.  Still  less  must  it  be  shown  in  such 
a  way  as  to  do  more  harm  than  good  to  the  recipient.  And 
yet  in  our  day  and  generation  we  need  to  be  careful  how 
we  follow  this  teaching.  Circumstances  alter  cases.  Chris- 
tianity in  the  first  century  was  not  likely  to  become  hard 
and  narrow  by  following  such  an  injunction,  and  the  in- 
stances in  which  it  was  to  be  followed  were  clean  cut  and 
plain.  It  is  not  always  so  to-day.  It  is  better  to  err  on  the 
side  of  charity  than  on  that  of  harshness  and  a  total  lack  of 
Christlike  sympathy. 

12.     "  Having  many  things  to  write  to  you.'''' 

There  is  a  strong  resemblance  between  this  conclusion 

and  that  of  the  Third  Letter.     They  were  evidently  written 

about  the  same  time. 


III.  S.  JOHN.— NOTES. 


III.  S.  JOHN.— NOTES. 

1.  Like  the  second  Letter  and  most  others  in  the  New 
Testament,  this  one  also  has  a  definite  address. 

2.  "  /  am  praying,*^  etc. 

This  verse  is  a  model  for  all  friendly  wishes  of  good  for- 
tune to  others. 

7.     "  Taking  nothing  of  the  heatheny 

Hence  the  necessity  for  men  like  Gains  to  help. 

9.  <'  /  wrote  something  to  the  Church.'''' 

This  reference  seems  to  be  to  a  letter  not  now  in  exist- 
ence. 

The  Church  seems  to  be  the  one  to  which  Diotrephes  be- 
longed, 

10.  "  Is  casting  them  out  of  the  Church.^^ 
Diotrephes  seems  to  have  had  sufficient  influence  in  some 

congregation  to  exclude  from  it  those  who  received  brother 
Christians  of  whom  he  did  not  approve. 

11.  *^  He  who  keeps  doing  good  is  of  God" 

Such    a  one  has  God  as  the  source  of   his  moral  and 
spiritual  life.     He  is  a  child  of  God. 
363 


264  3   S.   JOHN. 

12,     *'  Demetrius  has  the  witness  of  all  tneny 

Diotrephes  sets  an  example  to  be  abhorred,  but  Deme- 
trius sets  one  to  be  imitated.  Who  Demetrius  was  we  know 
nothing  further.  That  he  was  the  silversmith  of  Ephesus 
who  caused  S.  Paul  so  much  trouble,  now  become  the  fel- 
low-helper of  those  he  once  persecuted  is  only  the  barest 
conjecture,  yet  one  worth  mentioning  because  of  its  furnish 
ing  a  possible  parallel  to  S.  Paul  (Acts  19:  24). 

And  of  the  truth. 

The  witness  given  Demetrius  was  in  the  first  place  that 
of  disciples.  But  there  was  another  witness.  This  was 
the  spirit  of  truth  which  guided  and  illumined  them  in  their 
estimate. 

14.     "  Peace  be  tvith  you^ 

Instead  of  the  usual  farewell  we  have  here  an  ordinary 
blessing  with  Christian  fulness  of  meaning.  Compare 
S.  John  20:  19,  26;  I  S.  Peter  5  :  14;  Ephesians  6:23;  2 
Thessalonians  3:  16;  Galatians  6:  16. 

By  tiajne. 

This  phrase  occurs  in  the  New  Testament  in  only  one 
other  place  (S.  John  10:  3).  As  shepherd  of  the  Churches 
of  Asia  S.  John  would  imitate  the  Good  Shepherd  and 
know  all  his  sheep  by  name. 


REVELATION.— NOTES. 


REVELATION.— NOTES. 

We  had  for  a  long  time  been  personally  quite  convinced 
that  the  Revelation  of  S.  John  is  a  magnificent  Poem,  and 
that  it  ought  to  be  printed  entire  in  Hebrew  Parallelisms, 
before  our  attention  was  called  to  Archbishop  Benson's 
posthumous  work,  "The  Apocalypse,  A  Study."  We 
had  not  only  been  so  convinced,  but  we  had  actually 
arranged  a  great  part  of  it  in  parallelisms,  but  we  had  not 
the  boldness  to  apply  it  to  the  whole  work.  We  have 
adopted  his  general  arrangement  of  acts  and  scenes. 

1:3.     "  Blessed  is  he  who  keeps  reading.'''' 
This  is  the  first  of  the  seven  benedictions  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse (1:3;   14:13;   16:15;   19:9;  20:6;  22:7;  22:14). 

4:2.     "  There  tuas  a  throne  set  in  heaven.'''' 
See  Introduction  under  Scene. 

There  is  a  description  of  the  throne  of  God  in  the  book 
of  Enoch  14  :  17-23  very  much  like  this.  S.  John  may 
have  read  it.     Compare  Jude  15  ;  Ezekiel  i ;  Daniel  7. 

Some  one  sitting  on  it. 

Compare  Micaiah's  speech  (i  Kings  22:  19). 

The  enthroned  one  is  not  named.     This  is  in  accord  with 
the  Jewish  reluctance  to  name  Jehovah. 
267 


268  REVELATION. 

Tlie  thought  of  the  enthroned  one  is  kept  before  us 
through  the  whole  book  (5  :  I,  7  ;  6  :  15  ;  20  :  1 1  ;  21:5). 
We  are  reminded  that  the  great  world  drama  moves  for- 
ward ever  under  the  eyes  of  the  Great  All-Ruler. 

Compare  Isaiah  6:5;  Ezekiel  i  :  26,  etc. ;  Daniel  7:9; 
Deuteronomy  4:  12;  Exodus  24:  10,  11 ;  33  :  23. 

4:4.     "  Twenty-four  elders.''^ 

In  the  similar  vision  of  Ezekiel  no  human  beings  are 
seen.  Their  appearance  here  is  significant.  They  are  the 
representatives  of  Christ's  completed  Church,  They  are 
the  twelve  tribes  doubled,  some  say,  to  indicate  the  union  of 
the  Heathen  with  the  Jewish  Church,  or,  they  are  the  twelve 
Patriarchs  joined  with  the  twelve  Apostles,  and  so  represent 
the  true  spiritual  successors,  as  priests  to  God,  of  those 
twenty-four  courses  arranged  by  Da-vid  (i  Chron.  24:  1-19). 

The  same  thought  is  touched  on  in  the  double  song  of 
Moses  and  the  Lamb  (chap.  15:  3),  and  in  the  gates  and 
foundations  of  the  New  Jerusalem  (21  :  12,  14). 

4:11.     ^^  Worthy  art  thou  our  Lord  and  our  God." 
Here    we   have  the    praise   of  God  the    Creator  by  his 

creatures  as  such.     In  the  next  chapter  we  have  the  praise 

of  the  Redeemer. 

5:8.  "  Each  with  a  harp  and  gold  bo^vh  full  of  incense. ^^ 
It  is  not  the  Church  alone  which  is  interested  in  the  rev- 
elation which  will  throw  light  on  life's  mysteries  and  the  de- 
lay in  the  coming  of  Christ's  Kingdom.  The  whole  crea- 
tion is  groaning  and  travailing  in  pain  while  looking  and 
longing  for  the  great  consummation.  So  here  we  see  the 
four  living  creatures  who  represent  creation  joining  with  the 


NOTES.  269 

twenty-four  elders  who  represent  the  Church,  in  the  adora- 
tion of  the  Lamb  who  holds  the  great  secret  of  life  in  the 
hollow  of  his  hand.  The  harps  represent  the  praises  of  the 
Church  and  the  bowls  of  incense  the  prayers. 

Incense  held  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  ritual  of  the 
Temple.  And  so  we  read  in  Psalm  141  :  2,  "  Let  my  prayer 
be  set  forth  in  thy  sight  as  the  incense." 

5:9.     "  TAey  keep  singing  a  new  song." 
This  is  the  first  chorus,  the  chorus  of  the  purchased  pos- 
session. 

5:12.     '<  The  pmveTy  etc.^^ 

The  praises  ascribed  to  this  book  are  either  sevenfold  as 
here,  fourfold  as  in  the  next  verse,  or  threefold  as  in  4 :  1 1  ; 
19:1. 

This  is  the  second  chorus,  the  chorus  of  the  Angels. 

5:13.     "And  every  created  thing J^ 

This  is  the  third  chorus;  the  chorus  of  the  universe.  The 
song  of  the  "purchased  possession,"  echoed  by  the  hosts  of 
angels,  is  now  merged  in  the  utterance  of  all.  The  song  of 
praise  rises  from  all  quarters,  and  from  every  form  of  cre- 
ation. The  whole  universe,  animate  and  inanimate,  join  in 
the  glad  acclaim. 

This  idea  is  thoroughly  Hebrew.  The  Hebrew  mind  de- 
lighted in  representing  every  bird,  every  beast,  every  ele- 
ment of  creation  as  joining  with  them  in  the  praise  of  God. 
See  the  last  Psalms.     Compare  also  Philippians  2 :  10. 

The  two  preceding  songs  were  in  honor  of  the  Lamb. 
Here  the  Throned  One  and  the  Lamb  are   praised  alike. 


270t  HEVELATION. 

This  linking  of  the  Lamb  with  God  as  the  Throned  One  is 
common  througliout  the  book.  See  6:i6;  7:17;  19:6, 
7  ;   21  :22;   21  :  23  ;   21  :  I  ;  22:  3. 


6:1.  "  And  I  saw  when  the  Lamb  opened  one  of  the 
seals." 

It  is  at  this  chapter  the  most  difficuU  work  of  the  inter- 
preter begins.  Many  and  various  have  been  the  interpreta- 
tions of  what  follows,  and  only  those  who  keep  to  broad  and 
general  principles  can  hope  to  keep  close  to  the  truth  of 
what  is  from  here  on  the  burden  of  the  seer's  message. 

The  mission  of  Christianity  is  not  to  abolish  all  the  evils 
of  the  earth  at  once  and  by  external  compulsion  but  only  by 
degrees  and  through  an  internal  conviction.  And  that  not 
by  means  of  peoples  and  nations  and  languages  as  a  whole 
but  through  the  individual  believer. 

The  seals  seem  to  speak  a  double  message.  To  the  world 
they  say :  "  When  the  Son  of  man  comes,  will  he  find  faith 
on  the  earth  ?  "  To  the  Church  they  say  :  "  In  the  world 
you  will  have  tribulation  :  but  take  courage,  I  have  overcome 
the  world." 

There  are  two  lines  of  thought  in  the  world  and  they 
give  rise  to  two  apparently  contradictory  pictures.  We  are 
shown  what  the  world  would  be  if  the  principles  of  Christ 
were  fully  and'universally  accepted.  On  the  other  hand  we 
see  the  world  as  it  really  is  because  men  do  not  accept 
them. 

The  scenes  which  the  seals  unfold  are  the  pictorial  state- 
ments of  Christ's  utterances  in  S.  Matthew  24  :  6,  7.  The 
Church  through  them  is  warned  to  be  ready  for  her  mission 
of  suffering. 


NOTES.  271 

6:1.  "  ^-i/i^  I  heard  one  of  the  four  living  creatures,  say. 
ing  .   .  .    Coiney 

The  living  creatures  cry  :  "  Come,"  and  they  are  responded 
to  by  the  coming  of  the  horsemen. 

As  ah-eady  seen  the  living  creatures  represent  the  whole 
of  animate  nature,  that  nature  and  creation  of  God  which 
IS  groaning  and  travailing  in  pain  together,  waiting  for 
the  manifestation  of  the  sons  of  God.  They  bid  the  pains 
and  troubles  come  because  they  recognize  them  as  the  nec- 
essary precursors  of  creation's  true  King. 

6:2.     «'  Conquering  and  to  conquer y 

This  vision  of  the  first  horseman  is  the  symbol  of  Christian 
victory.  It  was  thus  the  early  Christians  ever  pictured 
Christ.  He  had  ascended  up  on  high  leading  captivity  cap- 
tive. This  faith  in  him  was  well  and  thoroughly  placed. 
But  their  expectation  was  at  fault.  It  was  at  fault  in  the 
fact  that  they  did  not  allow  time  for  the  abomination  of 
desolation  to  work.  But  war,  famine,  and  death  must  in- 
tervene. It  is  through  these  the  conquerer  himself  came. 
It  is  through  these  we  must  come. 

6:4. "  And  another  horse  came  out,  a  red  horse.^'' 
Here  is  a  distinct  and  unmistakable  declaration  that  we 
must  look  for  wars  and  rumors  of  wars.  The  advent  of 
the  highest  good  does  not  bring  peace,  but  a  sword.  In 
other  words,  peace  of  course  is  its  ultimate  goal  to  which  it 
must  of  necessity  come,  but  only  through  war,  desolation, 
and  destruction  of  everything  that  is  radically  opposed  to 
it. 

Here  must  ever  be  the  true  Christian's  position  with  refer- 


272  REVELATION. 

ence  to  war.  It  is  an  evil.  But  it  is  a  necessary  evil  to 
the  attainment  of  that  which  is  good.  So  those  who  take 
part  in  war  are  not  here  condemned,  nor  anywhere  else  in 
Scripture.     It  is  those  who  are  the  occasion  of  offenses, 

6:6.     ^'  A  quart  of  wheat  for  a  dollar ^ 

The  word  translated  a  dollar  was  the  average  day's  wage 
of  an  ordinary  laborer  and  of  a  soldier.  And  so  we  think 
the  nearest  general  equivalent  among  us  to-day  is  a  dollar. 

The  amount  of  food  here  mentioned  was  the  amount  of 
food  sufficient  to  support  a  man  for  a  day.  This  was  a  ter- 
ribly high  price  for  food.  It  suggests  a  very  great  scarcity 
as  the  result  of  a  famine. 

6  : 8.     "  A  pale  horse  .  .  .  Deaths 

Hades  follows  ready  to  gather  up  the  slain. 

This  scene  is  the  darkest  and  most  terrible.  Single  forms 
of  death  were  before  revealed.  Now  the  great  king  of 
terrors  himself  appears.  This  scene  gathers  up  in  itself  all 
the  awfulness  of  the  past  scenes.  It  is  the  central  scene  of 
the  seven  and  it  is  the  darkest.  It  is  the  midnight  of  sor- 
rows and  acquaintance  with  grief.  And  so  we  often  find 
the  middle  things  of  life  particularly  dark.  So  Bunyan 
places  his  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death  just  midway  be- 
tween the  wicket  gate  and  the  golden  city.  Dante  seems  to 
work  from  the  same  sort  of  hint  and  found  his  obscure  wood 
and  wanderings  just  midway  along  the  road  of  life. 

The  vision  deepens  in  its  central  scene,  like  the  horror  of 
darkness  in  Abraham's  vision. 

6:9.     "  7he  fifth  seair 

The  voice  which  is  now  heard  is  not  the  cry  of  a  groan- 


NOTES.  273 

ing  world.  It  is  the  call  of  the  oppressed  and  troubled 
Church.  Where  is  the  promise  of  that  early  vision  of  vic- 
tory ?  The  opening  of  this  fifth  seal  is  the  answer.  The 
Church  must  follow  her  Lord.  As  the  glowing  vision  of 
Bethlehem  with  its  "  peace  on  the  earth  to  men  of  good 
will,"  gave  way  to  Gethsemane  and  the  cry  "  My  God,  my 
God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?  "  so  the  glowing  dream 
of  a  quick  conquest  over  all  evil  in  the  earth  must  leave 
Christ's  true  followers  and  in  its  place  must  rise  up  the 
reality  of  an  agonizing,  persecuted  Church,  and  the  voice  of 
its  anguish  must  be  heard  :  "  How  long,  O  Master!  " 

The  seals,  then,  are  the  tokens  that  the  victory  of  Christ's 
Church  must  be  like  her  Lord's,  a  victory  through  apparent 
failure  and  certain  death. 

7  :  I.     <■*  After  i/iis^ 

The  two  visions  of  this  chapter  i-8 ;  9-17,  each  introduced^ 
\)y  the  same  phrase,  extend   the  opening  of  the  sixth  seal 
very  considerably  beyond  that  of  the  others.     But  they  are 
really  episodical. 

The  winds  are  emblems  of  trouble  and  judgment. 

7:4.  '<  A}?d  I  heard  the  number  of  those  who  were 
sealed.'''' 

There  is  always  an  appropriate  symbolism  in  the  num- 
bers of  the  Apocalypse.  Twelve  is  used  as  the  number  of 
those  who  in  every  age  have  been  called  out  to  witness  for 
some  truth  which  the  world  needed.  The  twelve  tribes  of 
Israel  were  the  appointed  witnesses  of  a  pure  theology  and 
a  pure  morality  in  the  darkest  days  of  idolatry  and  sensual 
license.  The  twelve  Apostles  became  the  inheritors  of  a 
similar,  though  higher,  spiritual  work.  The  number  twelve, 
then,   stands    for   a   world    witness   of  divine   truth.     The 


274  BE  VELA  TION. 

twelve  multiplied  by  twelve,  or  the  one  hundred  and  forty- 
four  thousand  represent  the  growth  into  full  numbers  of  the 
choice  ones  of  God. 

The  arrangement  of  the  names  is  significant.  Of  course 
they  are  here  meant  to  signify  the  tribes  of  the  true  Israel 
of  God.  Judah  comes  first  and  Benjamin  last.  The  other 
ten  are  included  in  them  as  an  envelope  stanza. 

7:9.  *«  After  this  I  saza,  and  lo,  a  great  throng.^'' 
These  are  the  same  as  those  last  seen,  but  under  different 
conditions.  Those  were  seen  in  tribulation.  The  sealing 
was  a  sign  of  security  amid  their  trials.  It  was,  as  it  were, 
the  Church's  Passover.  These  are  celebrating  their  triumph. 
It  is  now,  as  it  were,  the  Church's  Feast  of  Tabernacles. 

7  :  10.     "  Salvation  to  our  God.'''' 

Here  is  another  sublime  and  holy  chorus.  This  is  the 
voice  of  rejoicing  and  salvation  which  is  in  the  tents  of  the 
righteous.  For  the  Lord,  who  is  their  strength  and  song, 
has  become  their  salvation  (Psalm  118:  14). 

7:11.  ^'^  And  all  the  angels  ivere  standing  routed  the 
throne  .   .   .  saying :  Amen.  " 

The  great  concourse  of  angels  now  add  their  "  Amen  "  to 
the  cry  of  the  "  purchased  possession,"  and  at  once  break 
out  into  a  sevenfold  ascription  of  praise. 

The  sevenfold  doxology  is  specially  appropriate  here  be- 
cause it  implies  a  divine  completeness,  for  it  is  in  this  vision 
we  are  shown  the  close  of  the  Church's  agony. 

8:1.     *'  And  when  he  opened  the  Seventh  Seal.''^ 
The  visions  of  the  seals  are  associated  with  the  contents 
of  the   roll  (chap.   5  :  i,  2).     The   book   represents   God's 


NOTES.  S75 

purposes  and  principles  of  government  in  relation  to  the 
history  of  the  world.  The  openings  of  the  seals  show  us 
some  typical  scenes  in  the  course  of  the  world's  history 
which  are  unfoldings  of  principles  and  truths  in  the  great 
Book  of  Life. 

8:2.     '^  And  I  saw." 

The  series  of  visions  which  is  now  introduced  extend  to 
the  close  of  the  eleventh  chapter. 

There  is  a  marked  correspondence  of  arrangement  be- 
tween these  and  the  visions  of  the  seals.  As  there,  so  here, 
there  are  introduced  two  subordinate  visions  towards  the  end 
of  the  series.  The  sixth  seal  was  followed  by  the  vision  of 
the  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  and  then  by  the  un- 
numbered throng  (7:1-8;  7:9-17).  The  sixth  trumpet 
is  followed  by  the  vision  of  the  little  book  and  of  the  seven 
thunders,  and  then  by  the  measurement  of  the  Temple 
(10:  i-ii  ;   II  :  1-14). 

The  general  intention  of  these  interposed  visions  is  simi 
lar.  In  both  cases  they  give  us  an  insight  into  the  inmost 
life  of  the  Church.  The  main  visions  give  us  more  ex- 
ternal aspects.  The  interposed  visions  show  us  the  inner 
and  more  spiritual  aspects.  The  openings  of  the  seals  show 
us  the  great  outer  features  of  world  and  Church  history. 
The  interposed  visions  of  chapter  seven  show  us  the  calm 
and  the  strength  of  the  people  of  God.  It  is  the  same  with 
the  visions  of  the  trumpets.  The  main  visions  give  us  the 
trumpet  voices  of  God's  manifold  providences  summoning 
the  world  to  surrender  to  him.  The  subsidiary  visions  point 
to  the  witness  and  work  of  the  true  children  of  God  and  the 
more  secret  growth  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 

Another  similarity  between  the  seals  and  the  trumpets  is 
in  the  separation  between  the  first  four  and  the  last  three. 


276  REVELATION. 

The  first  four  trumpets,  like  the  first  four  seals,  are  grouped 
together.  The  first  four  seals  are  introduced  by  the  cry  : 
"  Come."  The  first  four  trumpets  are  followed  by  judg- 
ments on  natural  objects,  wliile  the  last  three  are  introduced 
by  the  thrice  repeated  cry  of  "  Woe,"  and  have  so  been 
called  the  "  Woe  Trumpets." 

But  while  there  is  this  correspondence  of  arrangement, 
the  general  import  of  the  visions  is  very  different.  In  the 
seventh  seal  we  are  brought  to  the  eternal  quiet  of  God's 
presence.  We  have  been  taught  that  the  Church  may  find 
her  way  a  thorny  one  but  peace  comes  at  last.  After  the 
seventh  trumpet,  however,  it  is  not  simply  peace  but  triumph 
we  are  assured  of. 

The  visions  are  not  to  be  thought  of  as  scenes  of  events 
chronologically  succeeding  each  other.  The  one  set  shows 
us  the  way  through  trouble  to  rest.  The  other  shows  the 
way  through  conflict  to  triumph.  The  one  set  shows  us  the 
troubles  which  befall  the  Church  because  of  the  world.  The 
other  shows  us  the  trouble  which  falls  on  the  world  because 
the  Church  is  advancing  to  the  conquest  like  Israel  of  old 
to  the  possession  of  the  promised  land. 

8:2.     •*  IVie  seven  angels  70/10  stand  before  God.'''' 

These  represent  the  complete  circle  of  God's  power  in 
judgment.  They  are  not  to  be  taken  literally.  For  just  as 
the  seven  spirits  are  but  symbols  of  the  complete  and  mani- 
fold influences  of  the  one  Holy  Spirit,  the  third  person  in 
the  Trinity,  so  the  seven  angels  are  symbols  of  that  com- 
plete and  varied  messenger  force  which  God  has  continually 
at  his  command. 

Seven  trumpets. 

The  trumpet  was  used  of  old  to  summon  the  people  to- 


NOTES.  211 

gather  for  worship,  or  festival,  or  war  (Num.  lo :  4-8), 
See  also  Exodus  19:  19;  Numbers  29:  i;  Psalm  81  :  3. 
These  seven  symbolical  trumpets  have  the  same  kind  of 
announcements  to  make.  Ijut  it  is  mainly  as  an  alarm  of 
war  these  revelation  trumpets  sound.  The  land  of  promise 
must  be  rescued  from  the  tribes  and  peoples  who  are  cor- 
rupting it.  As  the  Canaanites  of  old  had  to  be  swept  away 
lest  their  wickedness  should  spread  abroad  a  moral  death, 
so  are  the  judgments  of  these  trumpets  sent  out  to  under- 
mine, to  clear  away,  and  finally  to  destroy,  all  the  evil 
powers  which  are  wasting  the  earth. 

8  :  3.     "  And  another  angel.''^ 

There  is  no  need  to  ask  who  the  several  aiigels  are. 
They  are  but  symbolical  as  the  whole  book  is  symbolical. 
These  angels  are  symbolical  of  those  agencies,  whether 
personal,  or  natural,  or  supernatural,  which  are  being  em- 
ployed by  him  who  is  sitting  on  the  throne. 

8  :  6.     ^^  And  the  seven  angels  .   .  .  got  ready  to  bloT.v.''^ 
The  aim  of  these  visions  seems  to  be  to  give  the  seer,  and 

through  him  the  Church  at  large,  some  idea  of  the  general, 
kind  of  events  which  always  mark  the  decay  of  the  king- 
dom of  wrong,  and  the  gradual  establishment  of  the  kingdom 
of  our  God. 

The  history  of  the  world  is  not  to  be  worked  out  in  a 
hurry  to  suit  the  impatient  desires  of  us  children  of  men. 
It  cannot  be  so  for  the  very  reason  that  it  is  a  development 
and  a  discipline. 

9  :  10.  "  And  they  have  tails  like  scorpions,  and  stings. 
And  in  their  tails  is  their  power  to  hurt  men  five  months.^* 


278  REVELATION. 

These  two  lines  complete  the  envelope  stanza  begun  by 
the  following  two  lines  : 

Ajid  they  were  not  given  authority  to  kill  them 
But  to  torture  them  five  vionths. 

The  exigencies  of  the  symbolism  here  are  quite  beyond 
the  features  of  the  ordinary  locust.  "What  the  writer  means 
to  do  is  to  show  us  a  plague  in  which  devastation,  malice, 
king-like  authority,  intelligence,  seductiveness,  fierceness, 
and  strength  meet  together  under  one  directing  spirit  to 
torture  men. 

In  the  history  of  advancing  truth  there  come  times  when 
confused  and  partial  ideas  of  right  darken  the  minds  of 
men,  so  that  out  of  the  darkness  emerge  strange  and 
mongrel  teachings.  The  outcome  of  such  teaching  is  war 
and  tyrannous  oppression.  But  those  who  have  the  seal  of 
God  on  their  foreheads  cannot  be  fundamentally  and  per- 
manently hurt.  For  the  real  sting  of  false  conceptions  is 
not  in  the  havoc  of  open  war.  It  is  the  wounded  soul  and 
conscience.  From  this  part  of  the  book,  then,  as  from 
other  parts  of  it,  we  can  learn  that  it  is  subtle  and  plausible 
errors  of  teaching  and  of  life  which  pave  the  way  for  the 
great  world  catastrophies  and  cruel  revolutions. 

9:11.     ^^ Abaddon  .   .   .   ApollyonJ' 

Abaddon  is  Hebrew  for  Destruction. 

ApoUyon  is  Greek  for  Destroyer. 

The  picture  is  vivid  and  forcible,  and  its  full  and  certain 
meaning  will  be  plain  hereafter.  But  now  the  only  sure 
thing  about  it  is  that  it  lets  us  see  and  realize  the  vehement 
and  earnest  way  in  which  the  sacred  writers  describe  the 
subtle,  venomous  power  of  sin,  and  the  merciless  destruc- 
tiveness  of  its  work.  Compare  Romans  3:12-18  for  S. 
Paul's  description  of  the  world-wide  devastations  of  sin. 


NOTES.  279 

9:14.  "  T/ie  four  angels  .  .  .  at  the  great  river 
Euphrates.'''' 

Euphrates  was  the  great  barrier  between  Jerusalem  and 
Babylon  which  were  natural  foes  to  each  other.  It  was  the 
boundary  line  between  the  old  and  the  new  life  of  Abraham. 
It  was  the  Rubicon  of  his  spiritual  history.  The  four 
angels  loosed  at  Euphrates,  then,  signify  changes  analagous 
to  disturbances  on  the  great  frontier  between  the  spiritual 
city  and  the  world  city. 

10  :  I.     *^And  I  sazv  another  strong  angel.''^ 

Here  begins  the  first  of  the  two  interposed  visions  in  this 
part  of  Revelation  corresponding  with  the  two  coming  in 
after  the  opening  of  the  sixth  seal. 

This  first  part  (10  :  i-ii)  is  the  vision  of  the  Little  Book. 
The  seer  is  commanded  to  eat  it.  From  sweetness  it  turns 
to  bitterness.  Here  is  the  token  that  the  very  fidelity  he 
bears  to  God  will  cause  him  sorrow  and  dismay.  For  he 
is  sent  to  witness  unpalatable  truths  to  the  mighty  men  of 
earth  who  will  not  hesitate  to  bring  distress  upon  him  and 
every  evilwork. 

But  he  has  seen  celestial  visions  and  he  knows  that 
victory  is  sure. 

The  second  interposed  vision  expands  the  same  thought 
under  different  imagery.  There  is  a  Holy  of  Holies  in  the 
Church  where  the  true  witnesses  of  Christ  are  lightened 
with  celestial  fire  and  made  strong  as  adamant  for  their 
work  of  peril. 

10  :  2.     "  And  he  had  in  his  hand  a  little  book  open.''"' 
Three  books  are  spoken  of  in  the  Apocalypse.     The  first 
is  the  book  of  the  course  of  this  world  (5  :  i).     The  last  is 


280  REVELATION. 

the  Book  of  Life  (20:  15;  21  :2'j).  Between  these  comes 
the  ever  open  book  of  God's  promises  and  the  witness  of  his 
righteousness  and  power. 

10  : 5-7.  *^And  the  Angel  ivhom  I  saw  standing  on  the 
sea"  etc. 

The  gesture  of  the  uplifted  hand  gives  emphasis  to  the 
oath  (Gen.  14:22;  Ex.  6:8;  Dan.  12:6-9). 

The  secret  truth  of  God  does  not  mean  something  which 
cannot  be  understood.  It  means  a  secret.  But  it  means  a 
secret  which  is  to  be  made  known. 

Compare  with  the  reference  here  to  the  secret  truth, 
the  good  news  and  the  last  S.  Paul's  statement :  "  We  shall 
not  all  sleep,"  etc.  in  i  Corinthians  15  :  51,  52.  It  shows  a 
decided  union  of  thought  between  the  two  apostles  and  also 
throws  light  on  the  teaching  about  the  first  resurrection 
in  Revelation  20:  5,  6. 

10  :  9.     "  Take  it  and  eat  it  up.''* 

See  Ezekiel  3:  1-3;  Jeremiah  15:  16.  This  implies  the 
complete  mastering  of  the  contents  of  the  book  till  its  princi- 
ples are  thoroughly  familiar  and  loved  (Ezek.  3 :  10).  As  the 
Psalmist  says  :  "  Thy  words  have  I  hid  within  my  heart." 
He  who  would  carry  God's  word  to  others  must  first  of  all 
himself  "  read,  mark,  learn,  and  inwardly  digest  it." 

10 :  10.     *'And  1   took    the    Little    Book  .  .  .    and   ate 

it  up:' 

It  was  sweet  to  the  taste  but  bitter  to  the  stomach.  It  is 
always  the  same.  The  love  of  Christ  constrains  men  but 
the  very  ardor  of  their  affection  brings  them  into  tribulation. 
The  flaming  zeal  to  emancipate  men  from  their  sins  stirs  the 


NOTES.  281 

soul  with  a  holy  joy.  But  how  sorely  tempted  they  soon  be- 
come to  desist  from  their  tliankless  task  and  battle  no  longer 
with  the  unexpected  difficulties  which  constantly  arise  ! 

lo:  II.     "  YoH  must  prophesy  again. ^^ 

Yes,  difliculties  arise  constantly  in  the  way  of  the  herald 
of  Christ's  Cross,  and  all  these  will  cause  much  bitterness  in 
his  soul.  But  he  must  not  desist.  He  must  prophesy  still. 
For,  while  it  is  most  sure  that  victory  will  come  at  last,  it  is 
only  by  such  a  means  it  can  ever  come.  The  kingdoms  of 
this  world  will  at  length  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  God 
and  of  his  Christ,  but  it  will  be  through  persecutions,  apos- 
tasies, judgments.  This  is  the  sad  vision  he  must  reveal. 
But  this  very  vision  will  lead  to  the  unfolding  of  the  more 
truly  spiritual  aspects  of  the  Church's  work  and  her  conflict 
with  the  multiform  spirit  and  power  of  evil. 


Chapter  11:1-14. 

We  now  come  to  the  measuring  of  the  Temple,  the  second 
of  the  visions  here  interposed. 

No  matter  what  corruptions  invade  the  Church,  this  vision 
shows  us,  the  kernel  of  the  Church  will  never  be  destroyed. 
Out  of  her  will  always  arise  those  who  are  true  to  the 
Master's  commission,  and  their  words  are  words  of  power. 

As  Jerusalem  and  Babylon  have  been  considered  as  sym- 
bols so  here  the  Temple  and  the  court  of  the  Temple  are 
symbols.  The  Gospel  has  elevated  the  history  and  places 
of  the  past  into  a  grand  allegory.  It  has  breathed  into  their 
dead  names  the  life  of  an  ever-present  symbolism. 


282  UEVELATION. 

1 1  :  I.     "  And  I  was  given  a  reed  like  a  rody 
The  measuring  here  spoken  of,  like  the  sealing  of  chapter 
seven,  is  a  sign   of  preservation  during  impending  dangers. 


11:2.     "  And  the  court  which  is  outside  the  Temple.''^ 

Our  Lord  had  said  Jerusalem  should  be  trodden  down  by 
the  heathen  (S.  Luke  21  :  24).  The  sacred  seer  here 
catches  the  thought  and  its  deeper  meaning.  It  is  the 
treading  under  of  sacred  things  when  the  beast  power,  or  the 
spirit  which  actuates  the  lower  world,  tramples,  like  the 
swine,  the  pearls  of  divine  grace  under  foot,  and  turns 
fiercely  on  those  who  gave  them. 

But  there  is  a  limit  to  this  desecration :  forty-two  months. 
The  same  length  of  time  is  expressed  in  different  ways 
throughout  the  book.  Sometimes  we  have  twelve  hundred 
and  sixty  days  as  in  verse  3  and  in  chapter  12:6.  In  other 
places  forty-two  months  as  here  and  in  chapter  13  :  5.  A 
similar  period  seems  to  be  meant  in  chapter  14 :  14,  where 
"  time,  times  and  half  a  time,"  may  be  a  way  of  expressing 
three  years  and  a  half.  The  idea  is  taken  from  Daniel  (Dan. 
7:25;   12:7,  II). 

This  incorporation  of  the  expressions  used  by  Daniel  re- 
minds one  that  the  laws  and  principles  of  God's  government 
are  identically  the  same  in  all  ages.  As  a  result  of  this,  the 
principles  which  receive  illustration  in  one  set  of  historical 
events,  receive  similar  illustrations  in  succeeding  ages.  So 
the  words  of  Daniel  were  not  exhausted  in  the  age  of  Anti- 
ochus.  Nor  have  the  visions  of  the  Apocalypse  been  ex- 
hausted in  the  overthrow  of  any  one  nation  or  the  corruption 
of  any  single  Church. 


11:3. 


And  I  shall  give  authority  to  my  two  witnesses.'''* 


NOTES.  283 

To  understand  the  rest  of  this  vision  we  must  keep  in 
mind  the  vision  of  Zechariah  on  which  it  is  based  (Zech.  4). 

Throughout  the  whole  time  of  the  Church's  profanation 
and  distress  there  will  never  be  wanting  true  witnesses  for 
eternal  righteousness  and  the  government  of  God's  good 
Providence.  So  we  are  always  to  keep  in  mind  that  there 
are  ever  abiding,  if  hidden,  sources  of  divine  and  spiritual 
strength. 

11:3.     "  And  I  shall  give  authority  to  my  two  witnesses.^^ 

Two  witnesses  were  required  for  competent  evidence 
under  the  old  dispensation  (Deut.  17:6;  19:15),  and  so  we 
have  Moses  and  Aaron,  Elijah  and  Elisha,  Joshua  and  Zerub- 
babel.  In  the  New  Testament  times  our  Lord  sent  out  his 
disciples  '*  two  and  two,"  as  afterwards  S.  Paul  and  S.  Bar- 
nabas were  sent  out  by  his  Church,  Two  can  give  each 
other  their  mutual  support.  Two  different  characters  are 
brought  to  bear  on  the  same  great  work. 

The  prophesying  extends  through  twelve  hundred  and 
sixty  days,  a  symbolic  period,  yet  corresponding  to  the  dura- 
tion of  time  of  the  witnessing  for  God  of  other  great 
worthies.  Elijah  bore  witness  under  rainless  skies  for  the 
same  length  of  time.  Thus  long  did  a  greater  than  Elijah 
offer  the  water  of  life  to  the  children  of  men. 

11:7.     "  And  xvhen  they  shall  have  finished  their  witness. ^^ 
It  is  only  after  their  work  has  been  done  the  wild  beast 

has  power  over  them. 

Every  man   has  his   day  for  work.     Not   till  that  day  is 

over  does  the  night  come  on  when  he  can  no  longer  work. 

1 1  :  1 1,     "  And  after  the  three  days  and  a  half.''^ 
Compare  Ezekiel  37  :    i~io.     Our  Lord's  resurrection  also 
must  have  been  here  in  mind, 


284  REVELATION. 

The  grain  of  wheat  dies,  but  it  is  only  through  that  death 
it  can  bear  its  fruit.  So  among  the  cliildren  of  men.  The 
cause  of  truth  and  righteousness  may  seem  dead  for  a  while, 
but  it  must  soon  rise  again  into  a  newer  and  stronger  life. 
So  these  witnesses  rise  again  and  then  go  up  into  heaven. 
They  have  been  humiliated  before  their  enemies.  They 
also  are  exalted. 


II  :  13.  "And  in  that  hour  there  was  a  great  earth- 
quake,^'' etc. 

Rejected  reformation  is  now  avenged  in  a  violent  revolu- 
tion. The  city  which  might  have  been  purified  with  the 
welcome  consent  of  its  own  will  is  now  purged  by  the  spirit 
of  eternal  judgment  (Isaiah  4:  4).  Good  is  effected,  even 
though  it  is  only  through  fear.  Salvation  is  wrought,  even 
though  it  must  be  by  fire. 

II  :  14.     "  The  second  zvoe  is  past." 

The  third  of  the  woe  trumpets,  and  the  last  of  the  seven 
trumpets,  is  now  ushered  in. 

The  end  is  not  to  be  delayed  any  longer  than  after  the 
sounding  of  this  trumpet.  This  last  woe  trumpet,  there- 
fore, is  the  trumpet  which  will  usher  in  the  closing  woe, 
and  the  finishing  of  the  mystery  of  God.  It  brings  us  to 
the  very  end. 

II  :  15.     "  l^he  kingdom  of  the  ■world.'''' 

It  is  the  kingdom  of  tlic  world,  it  is  to  be  noticed,  not  as 
King  James'  version  has  it  ^'^  the  kingdoms,^''  which  has  be- 
come ("hrist's.     The  contest  is  not  for  separate  nationalities, 


NOTES.  285 

it  is  for  the  kingdom  of  the  world.  It  is  a  contest  for  the 
overthrow  of  the  kingdom  of  evil  and  the  establishment  of 
the  kingdom  of  good,  that  is,  God.  And  he  will  reign 
forever  and  ever. 

II  :  l6.  "And  the  twenty-four  elders  .  .  .  on  their 
thrones,''^ 

These  twenty-four  elders  represent  the  Church  of  God  in 
all  ages.  They  sit  with  Christ  in  heavenly  places,  even 
while  they  are  toiling  and  sorrowing  on  earth. 

II  :  17.     "  IVe  thank  thee,  O  Lord'' 

The  echo  of  the  second  Psalm  sounds  throughout  this 
Chorus  of  grateful  praise.  It  is  a  chorus  of  thanksgiving  to 
God  that  the  hour  has  come  for  the  overthrow  of  the  king- 
dom of  evil,  the  manifestation  of  the  Sons  of  God  and  the 
acknowledgment  throughout  the  world  of  the  sovereignty 
of  the  Lord  and  of  his  Christ. 

The  overthrow  of  that  evil  kingdom  means  woe  to  those 
who  have  supported  it.  The  woe  heretofore  has  been  for 
the  saints.     Now  it  is  for  their  enemies. 

11:19.  "  And  the  Temple  of  God  was  opened  in  heaven.''' 
The  Temple  is  opened  to  its  very  inmost  recesses.  Not 
the  holy  place  alone  is  disclosed  but  the  holiest  of  all. 
The  secret  abode  of  the  safeguarded  children  of  God  is  re- 
vealed. Now  that  the  end  has  come  there  is  no  need  that 
these  should  be  hidden  any  more.  So  the  ark  of  God's 
covenant  is  now  clearly  seen. 

And  out  of  the  Temple  or  round  about  it,  as  round  the 
sacred  peak  of  Sinai,  the   lightnings  are   seen,  and  voices 


286  REVELATION. 

and  thunders  are  heard,  tokens  of  that  holy  law  which  the 
power  of  the  world  had  defiled. 

12  :  I.     **^  And  a  great  sign  was  seen  in  heaven.''* 
The  picture  here  drawn  is  of  the  Church,  the  bride  of 
Christ.     She  is  all  glorious  in  her  condition  and  in  her  sur- 
roundings.    She  rises   superior  to  all  changes  and  lays  all 
lesser  lights  of  knowledge  tribute  to  her  noble  cause. 

12:2.  "  And  she  keeps  crying  out  .  .  .  in  pain  to  be  de- 
livered.'''' 

All  life  dawns  in  anguish  according  to  the  ancient  fiat 
(Gen.  3:  16).  But  this  is  not  all.  There  is  an  anguish  of 
the  Church  which  Christ  laid  on  her.  It  is  the  law  of  her 
life  that  she  must  bring  forth  Christ  to  the  world.  It  is  not 
simply  that  she  must  encounter  pain,  but  that  she  cannot 
work  deliverence  without  enduring  suffering.  And  so  the 
Apostles  continually  realized. 

12:3.     •'  And  another  sign  was  seen  in  heaven.*^ 

The  dragon  stands  for  some  dread  and  hostile  power  an- 
tagonistic to  the  spread  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  Here  is 
a  fit  emblem  of  him  whom  our  Lord  declared  to  be  a  mur- 
derer from  the  beginning.  The  red  color  is  the  color  of 
blood  and  fire  and  so  is  a  very  fit  symbol  of  slaughter  and 
destruction. 

With  seven  heads  and  ten  horns  and  seven  diadems,  etc. 

The  dragon  is  one,  yet  diverse.  He  is  an  evil  spirit  di- 
verse in  the  variety  of  his  power.  Compare  17 :  3 
7,  10,  12. 

This  picture  represents  all  the  varying  forces  and  sue- 


NOTES.  287 

cessive  empires  which  have  opposed  or  oppressed  the  peo- 
ple of  God,  and  sought  to  destroy  their  efforts  for  good.  It 
is  the  spirit  of  evil  at  enmity  with  God. 

And  the  dragon  keeps  standing  before  the  wo/nan. 

The  spirit  of  evil  is  ever  on  the  watch  to  destroy  the  first 
beginnings  of  good.  So  Pharaoh  was  ever  on  the  alert  to 
destroy  the  offspring  of  Israel.  So  Herod  kept  watching 
his  opportunity  to  destroy  the  Christ.  It  was  the  same 
spirit  at  work  in  those  old  heathen  countries  which  practiced 
the  exposing  of  young  infants  in  the  wilderness  to  the 
mercy  of  wild  beasts  and  the  weather  or  to  die  of  starva- 
tion. The  same  spirit  is  on  the  alert  to-day  in  all  heathen 
lands.  But  last  of  all,  and  far  worse  than  all,  the  same 
identical  spirit  is  abroad  in  Christian  lands,  and  not  only  so, 
but  it  is  here  where  he  is  gathering  his  richest  harvest. 
And  both  men  and  women  who  name  the  name  of  Christ 
are  doing  their  best  to  assist  him  in  his  efforts  to  have  it  so. 

12:5.     "  And  she  was  delivered  of  a  son.^^ 

This  boy  is  Christ.  But  though  the  basis  of  the  vision 
is  in  the  historical  fact,  the  vision  itself  reaches  over  a  wide 
area  and  is  to  teach  us  that  there  are  irreconcilable  princi- 
ples at  work  in  the  world,  and  they  are  all  to  be  traced 
either  to  the  Spirit  who  is  in  Christ  or  to  the  spirit  of  the 
devil. 

And  her  child  was  caught  up  to  God. 

Christ  ascended  into  heaven  where  he  was  before,  this 
reminds  us,  but  it  should  also  assure  us,  that  precisely  for 
this  very  reason  all  life  in  Christ  is  really  beyond  the  power 
of  the  evil  one. 

Twelve  hundred  and  sixty  days. 

This  period  corresponds  in  its  length  to  the  time  during 


288  REVELATION. 

which   the  witnesses  prophesied.     It  is  the   period  of  the 
Church's  witness  against  predominant  evil. 

12:7.     "  And  there  was  war  in  heaven^ 

This  is  one  of  those  passages  which  have  ever  been  re- 
garded as  more  or  less  perplexing.  It  has  afforded  material 
for  many  poetic  fancies  and  much  speculative  interpretation. 

The  narrative  of  the  woman's  flight  seems  to  be  suspended 
that  this  passage  may  be  here  inserted. 

This  vision,  then,  is  the  vision  of  the  overthrow  of  the 
evil  one  by  Christ.  It  shows  us  the  death-blow  given  to  the 
prince  of  this  world  by  the  Lord  of  Love  and  of  Life. 

12  :  10.  '*  Now  is  co7ne  the  salvation^  and  the  power." 
The  words  of  this  doxology  are  like  an  echo  of  the  Lord's 
prayer,  or  we  might  rather  say  an  antiphon  to  it.  Here  the 
prayer  "  Thy  kingdom  come,"  is  assumed  as  answered.  It 
has  come.  But  it  is  not  the  full  establishment  of  the  king- 
dom which  is  here  described.  It  is  rather  the  manifestation 
of  it.  "We  are  now  made  to  realize  that  Christ  is  King. 
The  accuser  of  the  brethren  is  thrown  down.  Of  course 
then  there  is  joy  in  the  presence  of  God  and  also,  as  well, 
among  men. 

12:12.     "  Knowing  that  he  has  but  a  short  time." 
The  painful  consciousness  of  defeat  has  roused  a  deeper 
and  more  obstinate  rage.     He  may  be  overcome  and  smitten 
to  death,  but  he  yet  has  power  to  do  much  harm. 

12:  14.  "  And  the  woman  was  given  the  two  wings  of 
the  great  eagle." 

The  woman  is  persecuted  and  driven  into  the  wilderness 


NOTES.  289 

but  it  is  with  the  wings  given  her  by  her  Lord  she  flies. 
The  serpent  drives  her  into  the  wilderness.  But  it  is  just 
there  she  is  to  find  her  place  prepared.  The  way  which  is 
hard  is  the  way  which  is  most  blessed.  Neither  the  eagle 
power  nor  the  heavenly  sustenance  had  been  hers  but  for  the 
devil's  hate, 

13:3,  "  And  I  saw  one  of  his  heads  as  if  it  had  been 
st?iitlen  to  death." 

But  the  death-blow  has  been  healed.  That  is,  the  fruits 
of  Christ's  victory  will  not  at  once  appear.  The  actual  death 
will  not  immediately  follow.  The  power  of  evil,  on  the 
contrary,  rises  with  new  vigor. 

13:4.     "  And  they  worshipped  the  dragon." 
The  spirit  of  the  beast  is  adored   wherever   worldliness 
prevails.     Nothing  succeeds  like  success.     The  ascription  of 
praise   to   the  beast  is  a  parody  of  that  to  God   (see  12:7. 
Compare  Psalm  112;  Micah  7:  18). 

We  can  hear  the  echo  of  this  ascription,  "  Who  is  like 
the  beast  ?  coming  down  through  the  centuries  from  the  lips 
of  the  Romans  as  they  talk  with  each  other  or  lounge 
together  in  the  forum."  The  echo  of  the  same  comes  to  us 
also  from  the  Champs  Elysees,  from  Piccadilly,  from  Wall 
Street,  from  the  round  world  over  where  men  consider 
passion,  rank,  wealth,  the  world-power  in  any  shape,  as  their 
God. 

13:5.     "  And  he  was  given  authority." 

There  is  consolation  in  these  words.  What  he  has  was 
given  him.  So  behind  his  reckless  and  apparently 
irresistible  power  there  stands  the  veiled  but  real  power  of 
God. 


290  REVELATION. 

13:6.     "  Those  who  are  tenting  in  heaven.^'' 
Those   to  whom  the  name  of  the  Lord  is  a  strong  tower, 
and   who  have  their  tent  of  witness  in  this  world,  can  yet 
tent  their  spirits  in  heaven  where  their  treasure  is.     Com- 
pare Philippians  3 :  20. 

13:9.  "  If  any  one  has  an  ear  let  him  hear" 
This  echo  of  his  Master's  words  calls  marked  attention  to 
the  warning  words  of  the  next  verse,  and  with  it  forms  an 
envelope  stanza  of  thorough  rhythm  and  parallelism.  The 
whole  spirit  of  the  stanza  shows  that  the  weapons  of  Christ's 
Saints  are  the  weapons  of  endurance  and  of  faith  and  that  by 
the  use  of  such  weapons  they  bear  the  most  effective  witness 
for  Christ  and  his  Church. 

13:11.  "  And  I  saw  another  beast  coining  up  out  of  the 
earth.''^ 

This  second  beast  is  less  monstrous  in  appearance  than 
the  first.  His  power  lies  in  deception  as  well  as  in  violence. 
Yet  the  whole  of  his  work  is  to  magnify  the  first  beast. 

The  advancing  intelligence  of  the  world,  its  increase  in 
worldly  knowledge  and  wisdom,  and  the  wider  diffusion  of 
general  culture  and  thought,  produce  a  change  in  the 
general  fashion  of  life.  But  the  world-spirit  is  the  same. 
This  second  beast  then  is  that  change  which  is  a  change  of 
mode,  but  not  of  spirit, — a  change  of  manners  but  not  of 
morals. 

This  beast  rises  from  the  earth,  the  other  from  the  sea. 
As,  then,  the  sea  represents  the  tumultuous  impulses  and 
passion  of  men,  the  earth  stands  for  the  more  fixed  element 
of  human  thought  and  wisdom,  that  is,  society  consolidated 
and  disciplined  by  worldly  intelligence  and  culture. 


NOTES.  291 

13:13.  "  //e  even  makes  Jire  come  doivn  out  of  heaven.'''' 
This  is  the  counterpart  of  the  work  of  tlie  two  wit- 
nesses and  of  Elijah  (see  11:5,  and  i  Kings  18  :  t^?)).  This 
is  one  of  the  features  of  the  deceivableness  of  unrighteousness 
which  so  effectually  deceives  men.  They  do  not  consider 
that  there  is  a  holy  fire  which  inspires  the  lips  and  lives  of 
the  holy,  and  there  is  an  unhallowed  fire  which  is  of  hell 
and  inspires  only  to  hellish  thoughts  and  actions. 

13:  14.  "  And  he  is  deceiving  those  who  are  living  on 
the  earth.'''' 

When  men  lose  the  sense  of  duty  and  stop  no  longer  to 
ask :  Is  it  right  ?  they  become  an  easy  prey  to  some 
specious  deception.  For  this  reason  the  Scriptures  con- 
stantly warn  us  on  this  point  and  do  their  best  to  keep  us  on 
our  guard.  See  Deuteronomy  13  : 1-3  ;  S.  Matthew  23  :  24  ; 
2  Thessalonians  2  :  9. 

Mere  greatness  either  of  thought  or  of  achievement  in  the 
world  of  action  is  no  guarantee  of  a  good  cause. 

"  Might  is  right  "  is  the  motto  of  worldliness.  "  Right  is 
might  "  is  the  motto  of  faith.  And  they  who  hold  to  the 
last  can  never  worship  the  image  of  the  beast  under  any 
conceivable  circumstances. 

13  :  16.  "  And  he  caused  all  .  .  .  to  be  given  a  niark.^^ 
We  have  already  read  of  the  sealing  of  the  servants  of  God 
in  their  foreheads  (7  :  3).  We  shall  hear  of  it  again  (22  :  4). 
Here  we  see  the  power  of  evil  has  its  mark.  As  slaves 
received  a  brand  in  their  flesh  to  indicate  to  whom  they 
belonged,  so  it  must  be  in  the  spiritual  conflict. 

Both  marks  are  to  be  taken  symbolically.  The  right 
hand    is   the    symbol    of  toil  and  social    intercourse.     The 


292  REVELATION. 

forehead  is  the  symbol  of  character,  for  time  is  ever  writing 
its  tale  upon  men's  brows. 

13:18.     "  Here  is  wisdom^ 

This  most  difficult  enigma  is  introduced  by  these  words  of 
preface. 

The  enigma  implies  that  the  understanding  of  the  number 
and  the  name  is  attainable. 

Of  one  thing  we  may  be  sure,  and  that  is,  that  the  wisdom 
which  is  to  solve  this  enigma  is  moral  rather  than  intel- 
lectual. It  is  that  wisdom  which  is  from  above,  which  "  is 
first  pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle,  easy  to  be  entreated,  full 
of  mercy  and  good  fruits,  without  variance,  and  without 
hypocrisy." 

The  six  hundred  and  sixty-six  is  a  symbolical  number  and 
expresses  all  that  it  is  possible  for  human  wisdom  and  power 
and  might  to  attain  to,  when  directed  by  an  evil  spirit, 
instead  of  by  the  Spirit  which  is  from  above.  It  indicates  a 
state  of  marvelous  earthly  perfection,  when  the  beast  power 
has  reached  its  highest  development,  when  culture,  and 
civilization,  and  art,  and  song,  and  science,  and  reason,  have 
combined  to  produce  an  age  of  gold,  if  not  a  golden  age  in 
the  best  acceptation  of  that  term. 

14:  I.  **  And  I  saw  and  lo,  the  Lamb  standing  on 
Mount  Zion.^' 

We  now  come  from  the  survey  of  the  powers  of  evil  to  a 
vision  of  the  powers  of  good.  We  have  seen  the  strength 
and  authority  of  the  beast.  We  can  now  see  the  true  fol- 
lowers of  the  Lamb.  There  are  seven  angels  introduced  in 
this  chapter.  And  in  contrast  to  Babylon,  Zion  is  intro- 
duced. The  Lamb  is  the  King,  and  the  one  hundred  and 
forty-four  thousand  represent  his  faithful  soldiers  and  serv- 
ants and  the  true  Israel  of  God.     See  note  on  7  : 4. 


NOTES.  293 

14  :  2.     "  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven. ^^ 
As  a  voice  from  heaven   bore  witness  to  Christ  at  his 
baptism,  at  his  transfiguration,  and  at  the  grave  of  Lazarus, 
so  here  the  voice  is  heard  by  the  surrounding  saints.     Com- 
pare the  29th  Psahn. 

14  :  6.     "  And  I  saw  another  angel.'' 

The  good  news  of  man's  salvation  is  proclaimed  to  all 
nations. 

No  doubt  the  whole  cycle  of  the  gospel  preaching  is  in- 
cluded in  this  vision,  though  it  may  have  special  reference 
to  ages  when  the  light  of  the  good  news  of  God  has  gone 
out  with  revived  lustre  and  given  warnings  against  acquies- 
cence of  evil  with  unmistakable  distinctness. 

14:8.     "  And  another,  a  second  angel  followed.'''' 
The  gospel  angel  is  followed  by  the  angel  who  proclaims 
against  Babylon. 

The  doom  of  the  capital  of  the  world-spirit  follows  the 
proclamation  of  the  Gospel.  Babylon  was  not  on  the 
Euphrates  alone.  She  was  later  on  the  Tiber.  Then  she 
was  on  the  Bosphorus.  She  has  since  moved  to  the  banks 
of  the  Seine,  the  Thames,  and  even  to  America.  She  is 
everywhere  where  the  same  evil  principles  are  at  work 
which  were  working  in  the  Babylon  of  the  Chaldees  and 
finally  brought  her  to  the  dust.  See  chapter  16:9  ^"^ 
chapter  17. 

14  :  13.     "  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord'' 

We  are  not  told  whose  voice  is  now  heard.     But  it  is  a 

blessing  of  priceless  worth.     They  are  words  of  faith  and 

eternal  hope.     They  tell  us  the  dead  in  Christ  are  happy 

and  at  rest.     Their  work  is  done.     It  has  not  been  in  vain 


294  REVELATION. 

in  the  Lord.  This  is  the  second  of  the  seven  benedictions 
of  this  great  Poem  (1:3;  14  :  13;  16  :  15  ;  19  :  9;  20:  6; 
22  :  7  ;  22  :  14). 

14  :  14.     "  And  I  saw,  and  lo,  a  white  cloud,  etc.''* 

There  can  be  little  doubt   that    Christ   himself  is   here 

meant   (S.   Matt.    24:30;  Acts    1:9).     Compare   S.   John 

5  :  7  and  Daniel  7  :  13,     The  crown  is  the  crown  of  victory. 

The  sickle  shows  that  the  harvest  has  come  (Joel  3:  12-14; 

S.  Mark  4:  26-29). 

14  :  15.     "  Send  out  your  sickle  and  reap.** 

There  is  a  difference  between  the  vintage  and  the  har- 
vest. There  is  an  autumnal  gladness  about  the  harvest. 
There  are  tokens  of  judgment  in  the  vintage.  The  wine- 
press of  God's  wrath  must  now  be  brought  into  use.  An 
angel  from  the  Temple  calls  for  the  harvest.  An  angel 
from  the  altar  calls  to  an  angel  from  the  Temple  to  gather 
in  the   vintage. 

The  angel  rises  from  the  altar  beneath  which  the  mur- 
dered saints  had  cried  :  "  How  long  ?  "  and  proclaims  : 
"  Send  out  your  sharp  sickle.  .  .  .  For  her  grapes  are 
fully  ripe." 

14:18.  "And  another  angel  .  .  .  who  has  authority 
over  the  fire.** 

The  two  scenes,  the  souls  crying  beneath  the  altar 
(6 :  9,  10),  and  the  angel  mingling  incense  with  the  prayers 
of  the  saints  (8:  5),  must  here  be  kept  in  mind.  It  is  the 
angel  who  had  charge  of  the  altar  fire,  and  who  threw  the 
ashes  betokening  judgments  to  the  earth  who  calls  in  a  loud 
voice :     "  Send  out  your  sharp  sickle," 


NOTES.  295 

14  :  20.  •*  And  the  wine  press  was  trodden  outside  the 
cityr 

This  is  a  figure  representing  vengeance.  The  red  juice 
of  the  grape  strongly  suggests  the  shedding  of  blood  (Com- 
pare Isaiah  63  :  2-4). 

Sixteen  hundred  is  four  multiplied  by  itself  and  then  mul- 
tiplied by  a  hundred  and  so  is  symbolical  of  a  judgment 
complete  and  full  and  reaching  to  all  corners  of  the  earth. 
The  whole  world  of  which  Satan  is  called  the  prince,  is 
judged,  and  condemned,  and  punished. 

15;  I.  ^^  And  I  saw  another  sign  in  heaven  .  .  . 
seven  angels." 

It  is  not  necessary  to  ask  what  seven  angels  these  are. 
It  is  sufficient  to  notice  that  they  bring  with  them  the  seven 
last  plagues.  This  fact  shows  us  that  the  set  of  visions  now 
to  be  seen  carry  us  down  to  the  end  of  the  world-age. 
There  are  to  be  no  other  plagues  after  these.  They  are  the 
last.  The  bowls  of  incense,  like  the  trumpets  and  the  seals 
bring  us  to  the  final  consummation  of  all  things. 

15:2.     "  IVith  harps  of  God.'' 

This  is  not  to  be  considered  as  a  phrase  equivalent  to 
great  harps  or  glorious  harps,  simply.  Great  and  glorious 
no  doubt  they  are.  But  they  are  far  more  than  this.  They 
are  God's  harps  not  man's.  What  S.  John  really  tells  us  is 
that  the  noblest  melody  in  the  ears  of  God  and  of  all  truly 
discerning  men  is  the  melody  which  sounds  through  a  life 
of  faith  and  patient  suffering  and  love.  The  power  of  such 
a  life,  he  shows  us,  is  in  God,  not  in  ourselves.  The  music 
of  such  a  life  is  the  music  which  God  produces,  not  man.  It 
is  he  who  draws  the  sweetest  tones  from  the  strings  which 


296  REVELATION. 

are  smitten  with  pain  and  sorrow.  Yes,  all  the  genuine 
music  of  life,  all  the  purest  and  noblest  tones  of  its  enchant- 
ing symphony  is  God  given  and  comes  only  through  suffer- 
ing. And  so  it  is  with  this  song  of  triumph  we  now  hear 
sung.  Its  accompaniment  comes  from  a  harp  not  its  own, 
but  God's,  For  if  it  is  only  through  much  tribulation  we 
can  enter  into  God's  Kingdom,  so  is  it  only  through  many 
trials  here  below  we  gain  the  ability  and  the  power  to  sing 
a  song  worthy  of  the  Lamb  and  in  harmony  with  him. 

15:3.  "  They  keep  singing  the  song  of  Moses  the  servant 
of  God,  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb.''^ 

The  song  of  Moses  was  a  psean  of  victory  over  Pharoah 
and  his  host  (Exodus  14:26-31;  15:1-21).  Israel  stood 
by  the  Red  Sea  and  saw  the  tokens  of  the  overthrow  of  the 
great  world  power  of  that  day.  So  this  spiritual  Israel 
stands  by  the  fire-blent  sea  of  glass  and  sings  the  song  of 
triumph  over  the  doom  of  the  great  world  powers  of  every 
age. 

But  this  spiritual  Israel  not  only  sings  the  song  of  Moses. 
They  also  sing  the  song  of  the  Lamb,  He  is  the  very 
centre  and  circumference  of  their  thought  and  worship. 
Their  victory  has  been  through  him.  It  was  he  »fho  put 
this  new  song  in  their  mouths.  It  is  he  through  whom  all 
things  came  into  existence,  through  whom  they  continue  to 
exist. 

16  :  10.  "  The  fifth  poured  out  his  bowl  on  the  throne  of 
the  beast. ^^ 

The  bowls  of  judgment  gradually  dissolve  the  integrity 
and  organization  of  the  kingdom  of  the  wild  beast.  The 
result  of  the  principles  on  which  it  has  been  based  begin  to 


NOTES.  297 

show  themselves.  First  comes  moral  disease  in  individuals. 
Then  we  see  a  corrupt  tone  of  national  morals  spread 
through  every  class  of  society.  Then  comes  that  fierce 
pride  of  vaunted  light  which  scorches  everything  it  touches. 
Where  these  are,  disorganization  is  not  far  off.  Evil  goes 
out  a  murderer  and  comes  home  a  suicide. 

i6  :  12.     '<  And  its  zuaie/-  zuas  dried  upy 

The  symbolical  meaning  of  the  Euphrates  was  shown  in 
the  note  on  9  :  14. 

Euphrates  was  the  natural  obstacle  to  war  between  Baby- 
lon and  Jerusalem.  So  is  there  a  great  interposed  boundary 
of  public  opinion  which  restrains  evil  from  breaking  out  in 
its  ruder  and  more  violent  forms.  Men  may  be  hostile  to 
spiritual  religion,  yet  they  scarcely  like  to  shock  public 
sentiment,  or  to  incur  the  charge  of  depraving  public  morals. 
But  there  comes  a  time  when  this  is  no  longer  so.  False 
principles  have  been  taught.  Corrupt  manners  have  been 
tolerated.  The  light  of  better  things  has  been  darkened. 
Public  sentiment  has  lost  all  sense  of  shame,  and  so  the 
general  decorums  of  life,  which  have  acted  as  a  break- 
water against  the  tide  of  outrageous  evil,  are  swept  away. 
Then  is  the  Euphrates  dried  up.  Then  has  the  way  been 
prepared  for  the  hostile  powers  of  evil  to  cross  boldly  over 
and  to  invade  the  whole  sacred  soil  of  human  life.  It  is  the 
gathering  together  of  all  the  forces  of  evil  for  one  final 
struggle  with  the  followers  of  Christ. 

16:15.     "  Blessed  is  he  who  continues  to  watch." 
This  is  the  third  of  the  seven  benedictions  of  the  Apoc- 
alypse   (1:3;     14:13;      16:15;      ^9  =  95    20:6;    22:7; 
22:  14), 


298  REVELATION. 

i6:i6.     ^^  Har-Magedony 

This  is  the  high  table-land  surrounded  by  hills  which  was 
the  great  battle-field  of  the  Holy  Land.  This  old  battle-field 
becomes  the  symbol  of  the  decisive  struggle  between  the 
good  and  the  bad.  The  war  of  principles,  the  war  of  fash- 
ion, the  war  of  morals  culminates  in  a  Har-Magedon.  The 
progress  of  the  spiritual  struggle  in  the  individual  must  lead 
in  the  same  way  to  this  mount  of  decision. 

16:17.     "  //  is  done." 

"  It  is  finished,"  said  our  Lord  on  the  cross  and  then 
gave  up  his  spirit.  So  here  the  end  has  come.  The  termi- 
nation of  the  scenes  of  sin  and  suffering  is  at  hand.  For 
the  last  of  the  last  plagues  has  been  sent  out. 

17:2.  "  /  wi//  shoiv  you  the  jtidgvient  of  the  great  pros- 
titute.''^ 

This  chapter  and  the  following  give  the  more  minute  ac- 
count of  great  Babylon.  The  Evangelist  is  now  told  more 
particularly  her  character,  crimes,  power,  and  position.  But 
to  understand  what  is  really  taught  by  this  we  must  remem- 
ber what  has  already  been  intimated  (14 :  8). 

17:9,     "  Here  is  the  juind  which  has  wisdom^ 
It  needs  the  wisdom  which  comes  from  above  to  look  at 
many  incidents  of  the  world's  history  and  not  find  them  so 
many  rocks  of  offense  (Psalms  73  :  2,  3  ;   119  :  165). 

The  description  here  given  seems  to  be  drawn  from 
Rome,  the  seven  hilled  city,  yet  the  further  explanation  in 
verse  ten  widens  our  thoughts  and  shows  us  that  the  literal- 
ism on  which  the  scene  is  based  is  used  to  convey  a  broader 
symbolical  meaning. 


NOTES.  299 

Chapters  i8:  1-19:4. 
The  portion  of  the  last  chapter  from  verse  seven  to  the 
end  gives  a  kind  of  parenthesis,  a  pause  in  the  drama  of 
vision  which  is  resumed  again  at  the  beginning  of  this 
chapter.  The  actual  overthrow  itself  is  not  seen,  but  the 
four  agencies  which  are  put  forward  to  that  end  are  here 
most  vividly  described.  First  we  have  the  angel  who  pro- 
claims her  moral  fall  ( 1-3).  The  voice  from  heaven  gives 
the  vivid  description  of  her  sudden  overthrow  and  of  the 
wonderful  sensation  it  occasioned  (4-20J.  Then  we  hear 
the  angel  who  tells  of  the  irremedial  character  of  the  over- 
throw  (21-24).  And  finally  we  hear  the  chorus  of  the 
heavenly  throng  rejoicing  over  the  victory  (19  :  1-4)  . 

18:  12.     **  And  fine  linen  and  purpled 

In  the  description  of  Dives  clothed  in  purple  and  fine 
linen  (S.  Luke  16:  19)  we  have  a  suggestive  comparison. 

Thyine  -wood. 

This  was  sweet  scented  and  was  a  favorite  wood  for 
doors,  panels  and  ceilings.  Its  rich  brown  hue  was  often 
relieved  by  inlaid  ivory. 

18:  13.     **  Slaves  ;  and  souls  of  men y 

The  traffic  in  slaves  is  mentioned  as  part  of  the  commerce 
of  Tyre  in  Ezekiel  27:  13.  The  number  of  slaves  in  Rome 
was  enormous.  But  the  climax  of  wicked  worldliness  is 
reached  in  the  last  article  of  commerce — souls  of  men.  It 
gives  the  finishing  touch  to  a  picture  of  society  wholly 
given  up  to  worldly  pleasure  and  indolence  and  the  basest 
kind  of  selfishness.  It  lays  every  market  of  the  world  un- 
der tribute  to  add  to  its  luxuriousness  and  readily  sacrifices, 
not  only  the  happiness,  but  the  lives  and  liberties  of  their 
fellow-creatures,  to  their  own  enjoyment. 


300  REVELATION. 

18:14.     "  And  the  fruits  which  your  soul  desired^ 
The  descriptive   passage  is  interrupted  by  this  stanza  in 
which   Babylon  herself  is  directly  addressed.     It  is  in  har- 
mony with  the  fervor  of  the  whole  chapter  that  the  descrip- 
tive tone  should  for  a  moment  give  place  to  this  apostrophe. 
The  desire  of  the  wicked  has  perished. 

18:  15.     "  The  merchants  of  these  things'^ 
The  description  is  here   resumed,  and  the   lamentation 
with  which   this  portion  ends  is  perfectly  parallel  to  the  la- 
ment of  the  kings,  only  here  there  is  the  characteristic  dif- 
ference— they  bewail  the  sudden  decay  of  wealth, 

18:  17.     ^*  And  every  shipmaster^ 

Now  begins  the  lament  of  the  shipmasters  and  sailors. 
Compare  Ezekiel  27  :  25-35. 

"  There  is  no  greater  woe 
Than  to  remember  days  of  happiness 
Amid  affliction." 

18:19.     "  Woe!      Woe!  the  great  city." 

This  lament  is  parallel  with  the  lament  of  the  merchants 
and  the  kings.  The  difference  is  the  appropriate  refer- 
ence to  the  shipping  interests. 

There  is  another  feature  of  the  parallelism  to  be  noted, 
the  refrain  of  the  last  line  of  each  lament.  The  kings  say : 
"  For  in  one  hour  your  judgment  came."  The  merchants  : 
"  For  in  one  hour  such  great  riches  were  desolated."  The 
shipmasters  and  sailors:  "For  in  one  hour  she  was  deso- 
lated." 

18:  20.     "  Rejoice  over  her,  O  heaven  !  " 
The  second  part  of  the  chapter  closes  with  this  invitation 
to  the  saints  to  rejoice. 


NOTES  301 

The  covetous  and  the  worldly  mourn,  for  their  affection 
has  been  set  on  things  below.  But  it  is  just  the  opposite 
with  those  whose  habitation  is  in  heavenly  places.  For  the 
wealth  of  holiness  is  imperishable. 

19:  I.  ^^  After  this  I  heard  .  .  .  a  loud  voice  of  a  great 
throng  in  heaven.''^ 

The  saints  who  were  bidden  to  rejoice  are  now  heard 
singing  their  song  of  praise  as  with  one  mighty  voice. 

It  begins  and  ends  with  Hallelujah.  For  while  the  sec- 
ond Hallelujah  is  separated  from  the  body  of  the  song  in 
the  text  by  the  descriptive  words :  "  And  a  second  time 
they  have  said,"  it  clearly  belongs  to  the  chorus  as  its  final 
word  of  praise. 

The  Evangelist,  as  he  writes,  seems  to  hear  once  more 
the  strains  of  this  glorious  anthem.  He  writes  down  the 
words.  Then  there  comes  a  musical  pause.  The  second 
Hallelujah  follows.  Then  he  writes :  "  And  once  more 
they  have  said:  Hallelujah." 

The  word  Hallelujah  occurs  in  this  passage  four  times. 
It  is  not  found  anywhere  else  in  the  New  Testament.  But 
fifteen  of  the  Psalms  begin  or  end  with  it.  It  is  generally 
translated:  «<  Praise  ye  the  Lord." 

This  chorus  of  the  heavenly  throng  is  the  echo  of  the  an- 
cient utterance  that  "  Salvation  belongs  to  God."  It  is  a 
threefold  ascription  of  praise.  It  is  a  triumphant  affirma- 
tion that:  "The  salvation  and  the  glory  and  the  power" 
are  all  God's. 

19:4.  ^^  And  the  twenty-four  elders  and  the  four  living 
creatures.'''' 

The  Church  universal,  which  the  elders  represent,  and 
the  whole  creation,  which  the  living  creatures  represent,  join 
in  the  refrain  :  "  Amen.     Hallelujah." 


302  REVELATION. 

19  :  5.     "  And  a  voice  came  out  of  the  throne. " 
In  response  to  this  invitation  the  voice  of  praise  is  heard 
again.     All  nature's  mighty  tones  are  mingled  in  this  grand 
acclaim.     It  is  human.     It  is  majestic.     It  is  glorious. 

19:6.     "  Has  been  made  King.'''' 

The  exultation  of  the  heavenly  throng  is  because  of  this 
great  fact.  The  Kingship  of  their  God  has  been  made 
manifest.  It  has  been  once  and  for  all  vindicated  against 
all  who  denied  him  and  hated  his  rule.  He  it  was  who 
was  always  reigning,  and  he  has  now  most  conclusively 
shown  it. 

The  joy  of  the  heavenly  host  rises  also  from  the  prospect 
of  the  closer  union  between  the  Lamb  and  his  Bride. 

19:9.  "  Blessed  are  those  who  are  invited  to  the  marriage 
supper. ^^ 

This  is  the  fourth  of  the  six  benedictions  of  the  Apoc- 
alypse (1:3;   14:13;   16:15;   19 :  9 ;  20 :  6 ;  22  :  7,  14). 

19  :  10.  "  And  I  fell  down  before  his  feet  to  worship  hi7n." 
The  impulse  was  a  natural  one.  The  immediate  check 
put  to  it  here  and  in  22 :  8,  9  supplies  an  indirect  evidence 
to  the  genuineness  of  the  whole  book,  and  gives  it  a  moral 
tone  immeasurably  superior  to  the  vision-books  of  pre- 
tended revelations.  Here  on  the  other  hand  it  is  well  to 
remember  that  Jesus  always  accepted  the  homage  of  his 
Apostles  and  Mary,  and  there  was  never  the  least  indica- 
tion of  a  rebuke  (S.  Matt.  28:9,  17).  He  was  the  one 
also  whom  all  the  angels  of  God  were  bidden  to  worship 
(Psalm  97  :  7  ;  Heb.  I  :  6). 

19  :  1 1.     "  And  I  saw  heaven  opened.^* 

This  description  is  like   that  of  the  opening  of  the  first 


NOTES.  303 

seal.     But    now    with    added    splendor    the    vision    is    re- 
newed. 

19:17.     "  And  I  smv  an  angel  standing  in  the  sun.^' 

Here  begins  the  description  of  the  overthrow  of  the  beast 
and  the  false  prophet. 

The  sun  is  the  symbol  of  the  divine  presence.  Compare 
I  :  16;   10:  I  ;    12  :  I. 

The  supper  here  is  in  contrast  to  the  marriage  supper  of 
the  Lamb. 

The  vision  is  a  great  figurative  representation  of  the  de- 
feat of  the  anti-Christian  powers  and  principles  in  the 
world. 

20  :  2.     "  And  he  seized  thedragony 

We  have  here  the  description  of  the  binding  of  Satan 
(S.  Matt.  12:29;  Col.  2:  15). 

A  thousand  years  was  the  period  at  which  Rabbis  fixed 
the  duration  of  Messiah's  kingdom.  It  should  not  be  taken 
literally  here  any  more  than  the  other  numbers  of  the  book. 

20  :  4.     "  And  judgment  was  given  to  them.'''' 

They  were  given  judicial  powers.     The   saints  are  now 

seen   to  reign,  and  judge   and  live  with  Christ.     The  full 

and  true  powers  of  life  are  all  theirs, 

20  :  6.  '•  Blessed  and  holy  is  he  who  has  part  in  the  first 
resurrection.^'' 

Here  is  the  fifth  of  the  seven  benedictions  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse (1:3;  14:  13;   16:  15;   19:9;  20:6;  22:7,  14). 

20  :  7.  "  And  when  the  thousand  years  have  been  accom- 
plished .  .  .    God  and  Magog.'''' 


304  REVELATION. 

The  binding  of  Satan  implied  restraint  put  upon  the 
freedom  of  his  action.  Now  the  restraint  is  taken  away. 
God  and  Magog  are  deceived  by  him.  Under  them  the 
great  gathering  of  the  turbulent  and  reckless  enemies  of  the 
faith  takes  place.  They  gather  together  to  the  war  which 
has  been  spoken  of  in  chapters  i6  and  19.  The  Euphrates 
is  dried.  The  devil  is  loosed.  The  unclean  spirits  have 
gone  out.  The  last  phase  of  the  long  war  between  good 
and  evil,  between  Christ  and  Beliel,  has  now  been  entered 
on. 

Compare  Ezekiel  38  and  39. 

20  :  1 1.     "  And  I  saw  a  great  white  throned 

The  beast  and  the  false  prophet  and  the  devil  who 
worked  through  them  have  been  overthrown.  The  judgment 
of  human  beings  now  follows. 

The  whole  description  here  as  in  the  rest  of  the  book  is 
poetic  in  form  and  calls  for  poetic  interpretation. 

The  throne  is  great  and  white  to  set  it  in  strong  contrast 
to  the  others  mentioned  in  the  book  (4:  14;  20:4).  It  is 
white  in  token  of  the  purity  of  the  judgment  which  follows. 
Throughout  the  book  "  he  who  was  sitting  on  it  "  is  referred 
to  as  God  (4:355:1).  But  here  this  is  not  to  be  thought 
of  to  the  exclusion  of  the  Son,  who  sits  with  his  Father  on 
his  throne  (3  :  21). 

20  :  15.  "  And  if  any  one  was  not  found  written  in  the 
book  of  life  he  was  thrown  into  the  lake  of  fire." 

This  is  the  third  time  in  these  two  short  verses,  like  a  re- 
frain at  the  close  of  each  clause,  we  have  the  terrible  words 
"  the  lake  of  fire."  Into  this  lake  Death  and  Hades  are 
thrown.  The  dragon  was  thrown  into  it.  The  beast  and 
the    false   prophet   also   were   thrown    into  it.     All   this   is 


NOTES.  305 

clearly  meant  to  teach  us  that  man's  last  enemy  is  destroyed. 
And  so  we  read  in  the  next  chapter,  "  there  will  be  no  more 
death." 

21  :  I.     "  And  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  netv  earth.^^ 
We  now  have  a  description  of  the  Lamb's  bride  the  New 
Jerusalem  (21  :  1-22:  5). 

In  the  original  Greek  the  word  translated  "  new"  means 
new  in  quality  in  contradistinction  to  "  new  "  in  the  sense 
of  recentness  of  time.  This  word  "  new  "  of  quality  is  the 
one  used  throughout  this  description,  and,  indeed,  through- 
out the  whole  of  the  Revelation. 

21:2,  "  And  I  saw  the  holy  city,  new  Jerusalem  coming 
dow7i  out  of  heaven.'''' 

The  beast  comes  up  out  of  the  sea  (13:  i).  The  new 
Jerusalem  comes  down  out  of  heaven.  The  world  can 
never  of  itself  evolve  a  truly  golden  age  or  ideal  state. 

21:4.     "  And  there  tvill  no  longer  be  any  death,  etc.'''' 
This  splendid  array  of  negatives  comes  as  a  herald  of  the 

positive  peace  of  the  new  Jerusalem.    No  sea,  no  tears,  no 

death,  no  mourning,  no  crying,  no  pain, 

21:7.     ^^  He  who  ozierco??ies." 

Again  we  hear  the  echo  of  the  promises  to  the  seven 
Churches. 

21:9.  <'  And  there  ca?ne  one  of  the  seven  angels  who  had 
the  seven  bowls." 

Here  follows  the  description  of  the  New  Jerusalem.  It 
has  been  said  that  half  the  errors  of  the  Church  have  been 
due  to  prosaic  minded  men  who  could  not  discern  the  differ- 


306  REVELATION. 

ence  between  figure  and  fact.  And  men  of  unpoetical  and 
vehement  temperamanthave  blundered  over  the  descriptions 
here  given  and  have  so  discredited  the  whole  of  the 
Apocalypse  in  the  eyes  of  many. 

One  of  the  seven  angels  who  had  the  seven  bowls  showed 
to  the  seer  the  scarlet  clad  prostitute,  the  great  and  guilty 
Babylon.  So  here  one  of  the  same  company  of  angels 
shows  him  the  pure  Bride  of  the  Lamb,  the  new  and  holy 
Jerusalem. 

21  ;  lo.     "  To  a  mountain  great  and  high." 

The  glimpse  of  God's  coming  glories  is  best  gained  from 

the    consecrated    heights    of    self-surrender    and    prayer. 

There  are  Beulah  heights  and  transfiguration  heights  from 

which  we  many  gain  glimpses  of  the  city  and  the  glory  of 

her  Lord. 

21  :  15.  "  Had  for  a  measiire  a  gold  reed." 
The  allusion  is  to  Ezekiel  15:3.  The  measuring  rod  here 
is  of  gold.  That  used  in  chapter  1 1  :  I  was  not  said  to  be 
gold.  The  measurement  there  was  the  symbol  of  preserva- 
tion amid  impending  danger.  The  measuring  here  is  more 
glorious.  It  exhibits  the  beauty  and  glory  of  the  city 
which  is  now  at  peace. 

21  :  16.     "  And  the  city  lies  foursquare" 

The  height  also  is  equal  to  the  length  and  breadth.  The 
city  thus  represents  the  symbol  of  perfect  symmetry.  This 
is  all  that  is  needed.  For  this  vision  is  not  meant  any  more 
than  that  of  chapter  4,  or  that  of  Ezekiel's  in  his  first  chapter, 
to  be  represented  by  painting  to  the  eye.  The  city  here  is 
placed  on  a  hill,  so  the  deep  strong  mountain  foundations 
may  be  included  in  the  measurement.     The  main  thought. 


NOTES.  307 

though,  is   to  realize   the  harmony  and  proportion  of   the 
community. 

21  :  17.  *^  And  he  measured  its  walls,  a  hundred  and 
forty -four  cubits.'''' 

The  recurrence  of  the  number  a  hundred  and  forty-four 
recalls  chapter  7  : 4.     See  note  there. 

21  :  18.     "  And  the  city  was  pure  gold^ 

Gold  is  said  to  have  reference  to  the  sun,  that  is,  to  the 
symbol  of  the  face  of  God  or  Christ,  and  so  to  the  mani- 
festation of  divine  love. 

The  wealth  of  heaven,  then,  is  love.  Love  is  the  circu- 
lating medium  of  all  holy  activity.  All  who  dwell  in  the 
holy  city  are  encompassed  by  it.  All  who  tread  the  streets 
of  the  city  move  along  the  ways  of  love. 

21  :  22.     "  And  I  saw  no  Tetnple  in  it.''^ 

In  Ezekiel's  vision  the  vast  and  splendid  proportions  of 
the  Temple  marked  its  exceptional  glory  and  formed  a  con- 
spicuous part  of  what  he  tells  us.  But  S.  John  passes  on 
to  a  higher  state  of  things.  He  saw  no  Temple.  What  he 
saw  was  God  all  and  in  all. 

21  :  23.     **  A7id  the  city  has  no  need  of  the  sun,  etc." 
Here  again  the   shechinah   is  alluded  to.     Light  is  the 

emblem    of    true   knowledge    and    holiness.     God   is   light 
(I  John  I  :  5).     Compare  Isaiah  60  :  19  and  S.  John  I  :  7-9. 

22  :  6.     "  And  he  said  to  ;;/<?." 

With  these  words  we  enter  on  the  consideration  of  the 
seven  last  sayings  and  the  conclusion  of  the  Revelation. 

It  IS  the  angel  who  is  here  talking.  Compare  chapter  21 
and  verse  9  of  this  chapter. 


308  REVELATION. 

The  expression  here  :  "  These  words  are  to  be  relied  oh 
and  are  true,"  has  reference  to  the  whole  book  of  Revela- 
tion. 

22  :  7.      "  And  lo,  I  am  coming  quickly ^ 

These  are  the  words  of  Christ. 

This  blessing  is  the  sixth  of  the  seven  benedictions  of  the 
Revelation  (1:3;  14:13;  16:15;  19:9;  20  :  6  ;  22  :  7  . 
22:14). 

22  :  8.     "  And  I  John  atn  he." 

This  declaration  of  the  seer  reminds  one  of  the  openipg 
of  his  first  Letter  (i  S.  John  i  :  1-3). 

And  when  I  heard  and  saw. 

Wonder  and  awe  took  possession  of  the  seer  and  he  again 
attempted  to  offer  divine  homage  to  the  angel-minister 
(19:10). 

This  twice  offered  and  twice  refused  worship  reminds 
us  that  to  render  to  all  their  due  is  wise  and  seemly  and 
Christlike.  But  to  offer  exaggerated  homage  to  any  one  is 
to  invert  God's  order  and  to  degrade  man  whose  true  glory 
it  is  that  he  is  God's  creature. 

22:  12.     "Lo,  I  a7n  coming  quick ly.'*'' 

Here,  again  Christ  speaks. 

God  gives  back  to  each  one  his  work,  says  S.  John. 
Retribution  is  no  dream.  It  is  a  terrible  fact.  It  is  written 
large  over  all  nature. 

22 :  14.     ^^ Blessed  are  those  who  are  washing  their  robes.^'' 

Those  mentioned  here  are  blessed  because  by  what  they 

do  they  have  a  right  to  the  tree  of  life.     This  is  the  last  of 

the  seven  benedictions  (1:3;  14  :  13;  16:15;  '9  :  9;  20:  6; 

22 :  7). 


NOTES.  309 

22:  i6.     "/,  Jesus,  have  sent  viy  angel.'" 

Here  only  does  our  Lord  reveal  his  name,  though  from 
1 :  13,  i8  on  it  has  been  obvious  that  he  is  the  revealer  as 
was  expressed  in  the  title  i :  i. 

22  :  17.     *  ^And  the  Spirit  and  the  bride  say  coined 
The  cry  of  all  creation  is  for  its  true  Lord,     The  Apoc- 
alypse is  the  book  of  the  Coming  One. 

22  :  18.     "  -/  am  a  witness  to  every  one^ 

This  is  the  final  word  of  the  seer.  We  may  compare 
Deuteronomy  4:2;   12  :  32. 

The  words  here  penned  are  a  solemn  protest  against  the 
spirit  which  handles  the  word  of  God  rashly  or  deceitfully, 
which  adds  its  own  thoughts  or  makes  its  own  wishes  the 
parents  of  its  interpretations,  which  dilutes  the  force  of  its 
warnings,  or  impoverishes  the  fulness  of  its  promises. 

22 :  21.     "  The  favor  of  the  Lord  Jesus ^ 

The  favor  of  the  Lord  Jesus  is  the  last  word  here  left  in 
our  ears,  so  that  whatever  have  been  the  dangers  or  diffi- 
culties, whatever  have  been  the  persecutions  and  afflic- 
tions depicted  in  this  book,  here  is  strength  and  love  in 
the  Lord.  Whoever  we  are,  wherever  we  may  live,  our 
power  and  wisdom  must  come  from  him.  Without  him  we 
cannot  understand  this  book.  Without  him  its  teaching 
cannot  be  obeyed. 


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The    Modern  American  Bible. 

Opinions  of  the  Press. 


The  Evangelist,  New  York. 
"  The  greatest  gain  is  in  the  presentation  of  the  text  to  the 
eye." 

The  Standard. 

Chicago,  III. 
"  It  does  not  become  colloquial  and  weak  in  its  effort  to 
be  modern." 

The  Presb5rterian,  Philadelphia. 

"  The  author  has  devoted  much  care  and  pains  to  his  under- 
taking. Under  the  arrangement  renewed  interest  is  awakened 
in  familiar  truth,  and  in  some  cases  a  better  understanding 
of  it  may  be  obtained.  The  spirit  that  characterizes  this  at- 
tempt to  modernize  the  Bible  writings  is  reverent  and 
devout." 

The  Christian  Intelligencer,  New  York. 
"  The  conversational  parts  of  the  Bible  are  arranged  as  in 
all  modern  stories,  after  the  method  of  Henri  Lasserre  in  his 
Les  Saints  Evangiles.  The  volumes  are  conveniently 
small;  can  easily  be  carried  in  one's  pocket,  are  neatly 
bound  in  flexible  cloth  with  gilt  top." 


Sunday-School  Times,  Philadelphia. 
"  We  have  come  to  appreciate  the  value  of  simplicity,  and 
Mr,  Ballentine  seeks  to  make  the  narrative  more  simple  and 
more  natural  to  American  readers  than  it  is  in  either  the 
authorized  or  revised  version.  The  effect  is  generally 
good.  ,  ,  .  The  greatest  innovation  is  in  the  close  render- 
ing of  the  tenses  of  the  original  Greek," 

The  Church  Standard,  Philadelphia. 
"  Mr.  Ballentine's  translation  is  both  pleasing  and  edifying. 
It  is  another  illustration  of  the  fact  that  any  faithful  and 
reverent  translation,  on  whatever  particular  plan  it  may 
be  made,  is  a  publication  of  the  Word  of  God  and  must 
tend  to  edification.  In  addition  to  the  translation,  Mr. 
Ballentine  gives  an  appendix  of  copious  notes,  some  o( 
which  are  really  admirable." 

The  Outlook,  New  York. 

"  Mr,  Ballentine  emphasizes  the  American  form  ;  he  uses 
dollars  and  cents  in  his  version,  not  pounds,  shillings,  pence, 
and  farthings.  He  makes  some  popular  changes,  too — 
*  charger '  to  '  dish  ; '  •  mammon '  to  *  money ; '  '  watch 
of  the  night,'  '  first  hour,'  etc.,  to  our  present  designations 
of  time.  The  arbitrary  divisions  into  chapters  and  verses 
are  dropped,  and  the  print  runs,  not  in  two  narrow 
columns,  but  across  the  page.  The  notes  well  emphasize 
the  text." 

The  Watchman,  Boston,  Mass. 
"  This  is  a  brave  undertaking  to  colloquialize  in  current 
phrase   tlie  book   which  has  come  down  to  us  in  the  com- 
manding form  given  to  it  by  King  James'  revisers,  and  em- 
balmed in  reverent  memory.     It  will  strike  different  readers 


pleasantly  or  the  reverse,  according  to  their  predisposition 
from  education  and  religious  sentiment.  There  can  be  no 
doubt  that  it  ploughs  up  the  crust  of  superficial  familiarity, 
and  compels  one  to  think  a  little  deeper  into  what  the 
writer  meant  to  say.  The  accompanying  notes  are  bright, 
judicious  and  helpful." 

The  Churchman,  New  York. 

"  The  attempt  to  tell  the  Gospel  story  in  the  ordinary 
form  of  our  American  literature,  was  a  sensible  and  useful 
idea.  One  gains  from  Mr.  Ballentine's  version  of  the  Greek 
text  new  light  and  added  clearness.  His  short,  epigrammatic 
sentences  .  .  .  have  directness  and  force,  and  familiarity  of 
diction:  .  .  . 

The  translation  ...  is  generally  successful  in  avoiding 
the  archaisms  which  .  .  .  are  doubtless  a  stone  of  stumbling 
to  vast  multitudes. 

The  notes  are  brief,  suggestive  and  usually  add  some  dis- 
tinct thought  to  the  interpretation." 

The  Wilkes  Bane  Record. 

November  9,  1900. 
"  Mr.  Ballentine  has  very  wisely  recognized  the  fact  that 
a  modernized  New  Testament  would  be  welcomed  in  every 
home  and  in  every  study  and  he  has  after  much  labor  filled 
this  long  felt  want.  To  read  it  is  to  read  something  new  and 
even  children  will  be  much  more  likely  to  become  favorably 
impressed  with  the  gospel  narrative  where  it  is  freed  from 
obsolete  words  and  from  archaisms  which  confuse,  than  if 
they  are  brought  up  exclusively  on  the  old  versions.  To 
read  the  Scriptures  in  this  attractive  guise  adds  clearness  to 
the  narrative  and  the  reader  gets  a  flood  of  new  light. 
Every  lover  of  Holy  Writ  should  have  it." 


The  Scranton  Republican. 

December  i,  1900. 
"  The  Revised  Version  of  Scripture  is  not  a  new  translation. 
It  is  but  a  revision  of  King  James'  version.  It  is  not  an 
American  translation.  It  is  English.  In  other  vi'ords  there 
are  many  words  and  phrases  both  in  King  James  and  the 
Revised  Version  which  are  not  only  not  understandable  to 
an  American  of  ordinary  education,  they  are  thoroughly 
misleading.  For  this  reason  there  is  considerable  room  for 
a  distinctively  American  translation  such  as  we  find  in  the 
Modern  American  Bible.  This  translation  is  unique  in  be- 
ing distinctively  American.  It  is  unique  in  another  respect. 
We  refer  to  the  treatment  of  the  conversational  parts.  For 
by  this  method  it  has  succeeded  in  putting  the  scenes  in  our 
Lord's  life  before  us  with  a  dramatic  force  and  vividness 
which  we  have  never  heretofore  realized.  In  this  respect 
it  is  delightful." 

Wilkes  Barre  Daily  News. 

January  8,  1901. 

**  These  translations  of  the  sacred  writings  are  made  in 
modern  idiomatic  English  and  are  carried  through  in  this 
spirit  and  this  atmosphere.  At  first  thought  this  would  seem 
impossible  without  losing  something  of  the  stately  and 
sacred  character  of  the  Gospels.  But  as  one  reads  these 
translations,  he  is  impressed  by  the  fact  that  the  following 
lines  are  not  only  maintained  without  a  suspicion  of  any  un- 
toward character,  but  the  reader  is  impressed  more  and 
more  as  he  turns  the  pages  with  the  thought  that  the  nar- 
rative is  particularly  engaging  and  absorbingly  interest- 
ing. .  .  . 

The  attempt  has  been  made  and  successfully  made  to 
make  the  English  Bible  more  intelligible,  more  interesting, 
and,  to  use  a  phrase  that  at  least  contains  a  suggestion  of  the 


meaning — more  popular.  The  student  of  ihe  Bible  in  go. 
ing  through  these  pages  is  beguiled  by  the  cohesion  of  the 
story,  and  by  the  fact  that  it  is  narrative,  and  withal  sur- 
rounded by  the  most  delicate  distinctions  in  meanings,  and 
with  the  reverence  which  should  always  apply  to  the  sacred 
histories." 

The  Alumni  Register. 
(university  of  pennsylvania.) 

January,  1901. 
"The  Modern  American  Bible,  edited  by  the  Rev.  Frank 
Schell  Ballentine,  '82  College,  is  the  kind  of  book  that  re- 
quires careful  examination  before  one  can  appreciate  the 
reason  for  its  existence.  The  first  impression  that  one  has 
in  regard  to  all  such  books  is  apt  to  be  unfavorable,  inas- 
much as  our  feeling  of  reverence  for  the  authorized  version 
and  our  familiarity  with  the  language  of  it  are  such  as  to 
make  us  regard  any  change  in  that  language  as  unnecessary. 
Much  has  been  done,  however,  in  the  last  few  years  to 
bring  out  clearly,  on  the  printed  page,  the  character  of  the 
Biblical  narratives.  Poetry  has  been  indicated  by  printing 
it  as  such,  quotations  are  shown  by  quotation  marks  or  dif- 
ferent type,  etc.,  and  in  this  respect,  the  Modern  American 
Bible  ...  is  an  excellent  work.  .  .  .  No  one  can  ques- 
tion the  propriety  of  attempting,  by  reverent  study,  to  get 
as  close  as  possible  to  the  exact  meaning  of  the  original  text. 
A  great  deal  of  attention  has  been  paid  by  Mr.  Ballentine  to 
the  rendering  of  the  Greek  tenses,  and  in  most  cases  his 
work  may  be  regarded  as  successful." 

Hartford  Seminary  Record. 
"  We  are  inclined  to   extend  a  welcome  to  every  effort 
now  being  made  to  render  the  text  and  contents  of  the  Bible 
clearer  by  any  reasonable  device  of  rctranslation  or  typo- 
graphical rearrangement.   .   .   . 


We  note  with  interest  an  American  project  called  the 
Modern  American  Bible.   .  ,   . 

The  plan  of  this  work  is  to  offer  a  wholly  new  English 
version,  couched  in  diction  entirely  modern,  and  presented 
typographically  without  verse  divisions  and  with  various 
small  devices  of  disposition  on  the  page  that  shall  display 
the  assumed  character  of  each  passage.   .   .  . 

The  volumes  are  daintily  printed  and  bound  in  a  size  for 
the  pocket. 

The  motive  of  this  effort  is  excellent.  .  .  .  V/ie  transla- 
tion is  lucid,  vigorous,  scholarly  in  its  effort  to  uncover  the 
basic  qualities  of  the  text.  .   .   . 

It  would  be  a  long  task  to  discuss  the  notes  in  detail.  In 
the  main,  they  are  finely  intended,  and  often  exceedingly 
apt.  .  .  . 

To  those  who  are  seeking  means  to  make  the  New  Testa- 
ment vivid  .  .  .  these  volumes  will  be  decidedly  service- 
able." 

Individual  Opinions. 

The  Church  House  I2TH  and  Walnut  Sts.,  Phil'a. 

"  I  can  imagine  many  a  teacher  holding  a  class  of  intel- 
ligent boys  and  girls  easily  by  means  of  the  conversations  and 
dialogues  and  modern  phrases,  interpreting  old  and  familiar 

words  and  truths." 

Alfred  J.  P.  McClure, 
Financial  Secretary,  General  Clergy  Relief. 

"  For  many  years  to  come,  I  hope  your  translation  of  the 
Gospels  will  be  found  within  easy  reach  upon  my  desk. 
May  I  say  without  seeming  irreverence  that  it  is  a  most  de- 
lightful book  ?  .  .  .  That  you  .  .  .  should  have  found  time 
and  inspiration  for  this  beautiful  task  seems  to  me  won- 
derful." 

W.  E.  Plumley, 
Head  Master,  School  of  the  Lackawanna,  Scranton. 


"  Every  attempt  to  make  the  English  Bible  more  intelli- 
gible, more  interesting  and  more  popular  is  a  matter  of  gen- 
eral commendation.  But  when  the  attempt  is  replete  with 
such  literary  appreciation,  painstaking  scholarship,  and  con- 
secrated devotion  .  .  .  it  is  a  matter  of  general  congratula- 
tion." 

Walter  H.  Buell, 
Professor,  Hotchkiss  School,  Lakeville,  Conn. 


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